zsírsavat

Zsírsvat is the Hungarian word for fatty acid. Fatty acids are carboxylic acids with a long aliphatic chain, which is either saturated or unsaturated. They are the building blocks of fats and oils. In biological systems, they are commonly found esterified with glycerol to form triglycerides.

Fatty acids are characterized by their hydrocarbon chain length and the presence or absence of double bonds. Saturated fatty acids have no carbon-carbon double bonds in their aliphatic chain. Examples include stearic acid and palmitic acid. Unsaturated fatty acids contain one or more carbon-carbon double bonds. Monounsaturated fatty acids have one double bond, such as oleic acid. Polyunsaturated fatty acids have two or more double bonds, like linoleic acid and alpha-linolenic acid. The position and configuration (cis or trans) of these double bonds are important for their physical and biological properties.

Fatty acids play crucial roles in living organisms. They are a major source of energy, stored in adipose tissue as triglycerides. They also form the structural components of cell membranes, particularly as phospholipids and glycolipids. Certain fatty acids, known as essential fatty acids, cannot be synthesized by the body and must be obtained from the diet. These are typically polyunsaturated fatty acids like omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, which are vital for various physiological processes, including inflammation, blood clotting, and brain function.