bonds to the glycerol frame, the acidic end of
the fatty acid is polar, like water, and so it
gives the free fatty acid a partial ability to
form hydrogen bonds with water.
Fatty acid chains can be from 4 to about 35
carbons long, though the most common in
foods are from 14 to 20. The properties of a
given triglyceride molecule depend on the
structure of its three fatty acids and their
relative positions on the glycerol frame. And
the properties of a fat depend on the particular
mixture of triglycerides it contains.
Saturated And Unsaturated Fats, Hydrogenation, and
Trans Fatty Acids
The Meaning of Saturation The terms
“saturated” and “unsaturated” fats are familiar
from nutrition labels and ongoing discussions
of diet and health, but their meaning is seldom
explained. A saturated lipid is one whose
carbon chain is saturated — filled to capacity