FoodWorks-International® 

One really needs to get to the root of the subject and know that every molecule of fat incorporates three molecules of fatty acids.

These fatty acids may be either saturated or unsaturated and they will impart those characteristics within

the fat as a whole.

What is a fatty acid?

Fatty acids are the acids that are found as components of fats.

They are part of the larger family that all chemists call Carboxyl Acids. As acid go, they are very weak -

unlike some other rather strong acids such as battery acid, Sulphuric acid, and the such.

A fatty molecule consists of a long chain of as many as sixteen or even eighteen or even more carbon atoms.

Each one of these will carry a pair of hydrogen atoms. otherwise known as CH2  groups.

If the chain contains its full complement of hydrogen atoms, the fatty acid is then called saturated but if the

chain has as much as one pair of the hydrogen atoms missing then it will be known as Monosaturated. 

if two or more pairs of Hydrogen atoms are missing from the chain then it will be called Polyunsaturated.

in truth one atom will be missing from each of the adjacent carbon atoms.

Some of the more common fatty acids are Stearic acid  ( this is a saturated one ) Oleic acid ( a

monosaturated one ) and also Linolenic acid which is ( polyunsaturated).

it is important to our bodies where the exact positions of the unsaturated parts of the fatty acid molecules

happen.  ( That is the double bonding as a chemist would say ).

Most people are aware of Omega 3 fatty acids that are associated with fatty fish such as Salmon,

and are reported to play a major role in the prevention of heart disease and strokes.

Well this is a way of the chemist to exactly pin point where the missing pair of hydrogen atoms is

(the first double bond) from the end of teh polyunsaturated molecule. ( Omega is the last letter of the final

letter of the Greek alphabet - or a meaning for the end)

The answer is,  it is 3 places from the end.

Fatty acid chemicals usually have a bad taste and a foul smell to them. Luck has it that they do not usually

exist in food items in their free forms. being that they are normally bound with another chemical called

glycerol in a ratio of three fatty acids to each glycerol molecule. in this manner they are then known as

one fat molecule.

A schematic diagram will demonstrate the molecules structure as being a short flag pole with three

long banners fluttering from it.