Each carbon atom is not fully saturated with a full quota of hydrogen atoms. There is more than one double bond between the carbon atoms.
• Soft or liquid at room temperature (18°C)
• Lowest melting point of all the fatty acids
Chemical structure
Generally found in plant and marine sources
Sources Examples
• Alpha linolenic acid (three double bonds) in seed oil
• Linoleic acid (two double bonds) in nuts • Linolenic acid (three double bonds) in seeds
• Arachidonic acid (four double bonds) in oily fish
Carboxyl group (COOH)
Methyl group (CH )3
? Describe the structure and give one example of each of the following: • saturated fatty acids • monounsaturated fatty acids • polyunsaturated fatty acids. (24) HL
Distribution of saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids in food
All fats and oils are made up of a combination of saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids. It is this combination of fatty acids that determines the consistency, colour, taste and texture of the fat or oil. The more hydrogen atoms a fatty acid has, the greater the degree of saturation.
