The building blocks of fats are called fatty acids and glycerol.
Fats, also known as lipids, are an essential nutrient for our bodies. They are made up of these two main components:
- Fatty Acids: These are long chains of carbon and hydrogen atoms. They can be saturated, meaning they have no double bonds between the carbon atoms, or unsaturated, which means they have one or more double bonds. The type of fatty acids present in a fat can influence its properties and health effects.
- Glycerol: This is a three-carbon alcohol that provides a backbone to which fatty acids attach. Each glycerol molecule can bond with up to three fatty acids, forming a triglyceride, which is the most common form of fat found in the body and in food.
Understanding these building blocks helps us know how fats function in our body, including energy storage, insulation, and cell membrane structure.