Fatty acid and cholesterol.docVIP

Feed Analysis and Ruminent Nutrition Fatty Acids and Cholesterol Name: Lin zili Student ID: 2012139006 Fatty Acids and Cholesterol 1. Fatty Acids Dietary fats, are a macronutrient class that includes fatty acids, triglycerides, and. Fats supply fuel energy (9 kcal/g) and the essential fatty acids, linoleic and alpha-linolenic acids. Fats, therefore, are a key factor in the maintenance of caloric balance and body weight. Specific fatty acids also serve as precursors for numerous biological pathways that influence inflammation, coagulation, and gene expression among other functions. Fat soluble vitamins (vitamins A, D, E, K) and carotenoids are absorbed and transported with fats. In chemistry, and especially in biochemistry, a fatty acid is a carboxylic acid with a long aliphatic tail (chain), which is either saturated or unsaturated. Most naturally occurring fatty acids have a chain of an even number of carbon atoms, from 4 to 28. Fatty acids are usually derived from triglycerides or phospholipids. When they are not attached to other molecules, they are known as free fatty acids. Fatty acids are important sources of fuel because, when metabolized, they yield large quantities of ATP. Many cell types can use either glucose or fatty acids for this purpose. In particular, heart and skeletal muscle prefer fatty acids. The brain cannot use fatty acids as a source of fuel; it relies on glucose or ketone bodies. Fig1. Three dimensional representations of several fatty acids Fatty acids are bound to glycerol as triglycerides for transport and storage in the human body. Fatty acids are heterogeneous and classified based on their chain length, the number of double bonds, the position of the first double bond from the methyl end, and a cis versus trans configuration across a double bond. These h