Introduction to Chemistry of Lipids

2.2. Properties of fatty acid

Fatty acids are amphipathic, because of the Hydrophobic tail and Hydrophilic (–COOH) head 

• The longer the hydrocarbon chain the higher the melting point of the fatty acid and the greater the number of double bonds in the fatty acid the lower the melting point of the fatty acid 

• Unsaturated fatty acids have substantially lower melting points than saturated fatty acids.

Essential and non-essential fatty acids 

• Essential fatty acids are the ones that cannot be synthesized in the body and thus are obtained from the diet e.g. ω-3 and ω-6 fatty acids. 

• Non-essential fatty acids can be synthesized in the human system and therefore do not come only from diet.