The basic elements of life: fatty acids

Omega 3 Fatty Acids

In science fiction books or some scientific definitions, you sometimes hear the statement that "we are carbon-based life forms" or "life on Earth is carbon-based." Indeed, this element, widely found in nature, forms the basis of many materials, from graphite to diamond to petroleum, and bonds easily with other elements—so much so that more than 10 million carbon compounds exist in nature. It is also the basis of the exchange between oxygen and carbon dioxide that fuels photosynthesis and almost everything we studied in chemistry in school.

For those saturated with talks about fats... let's clarify

One topic rarely covered in school is the composition of cells. Since we are organisms made of cells, it might interest us that the constituent of cell membranes (the "skin" or "coating" of cells) is made of carbon combined with hydrogen and a pinch of oxygen. In particular, the combination we are interested in is known as "fatty acid," which is basically the building block of fats, or lipids, one of the four organic compounds found in nature.

Fatty acids are components of almost all lipids, meaning all animal and vegetable fats. A fat is made of fatty acids somewhat like ants secrete formic acid and there are lactobacilli in milk (science and fantasy, quite the pair!). Fatty acids are unsaturated when they have a carbon double bond. The chemical formula isn’t very important—although it can be found on various internet pages—but what matters is that their properties change somewhat, as we will see in upcoming episodes. For now, just know that some fats are called unsaturated because between the two carbon bonds a hydrogen can fit. When all the possible hydrogen is already attached (and thus there are no double bonds between carbon molecules), they are called saturated. And since we’re a bit saturated at this point too... all that’s left is to wish you a fat day.