Fatty Acid Structures and Classification

A set of vocabulary flashcards defining saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated fatty acid structures and functional groups based on the provided material.

Fatty Acid Structures

Hydrocarbon chains terminating in a carboxyl group ($-COOH$) that are categorized into saturated, monounsaturated, or polyunsaturated forms depending on the presence of carbon-carbon double bonds.

Saturated Fatty Acid

A fatty acid chain containing only single bonds between carbon atoms, saturated fully with hydrogen atoms along its hydrocarbon chain.

Monounsaturated Fatty Acid

A fatty acid chain that contains exactly one double bond ($C=C$) within its hydrocarbon backbone.

Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid

A fatty acid chain that contains two or more double bonds ($C=C$) along its carbon backbone.

Carboxyl Group

A functional group composed of a carbon atom double-bonded to an oxygen atom and single-bonded to a hydroxyl group ($-COOH$), located at the head of a fatty acid molecule.

Double Bond

A covalent chemical bond where two pairs of electrons are shared between carbon atoms ($C=C$), creating a point of unsaturation in a fatty acid.