The names of fatty acids, and in particular Omega-3 fats, describes a nomenclature unique to and based upon the location of double bonds along the fatty acid carbon skeleton. Let me simplify that: a fat is nothing more than a string of carbon atoms bonded together. In addition to that, fats are really fatty acids as the fat portion has an added carboxylic acid attached to one end. The acid portion physiochemically makes the molecule both fat soluble and water soluble. For naming purposes, we count from the bare carbon end (Omega) or the acid end (Delta) to the first double bond and name the fat. Incidentally, and to confuse matters more; another name for Omega-3 fats is N-3 fats, with the N naming system cluttering an already confusing nomenclature. So if you hear about N-3 fats, that represents yet another way of indicating Omega-3 fats and at that I wont mention it again. What follows is a typical 16 carbon fatty acid.
(Omega end) C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-COOH (Delta end)
To describe an Omega-3, means count in from the Omega end three carbons and place a double bond. Count in 6 carbons and place a lone double bond and you get an Omega-6. You get the picture.
(Omega end) C(1)-C(2)-C(3)=C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-COOH (Delta end)
Silly, you thought that’s all there was to it. The Delta designation is there for a reason. In the
IUPAC system (International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry) the fatty acid is numbered from the opposite end (acid end) of the molecule where the first carbon is numbered from right to left as follows:
(Omega end) C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C=C-C-C-C-C-COOH (Delta end)
This would be called a Delta-6 fatty acid or in the lingo of pure and applied chemists, it would be denoted as a 16:1 Δ6. Is this shades of college chemistry or what?
Not to bore you with all the nomenclature, the Omega numbering system usually applies only to fatty acids with double bonds close to the Omega end; thus, Omega-3 fatty acids are all you really hear about.
A key to understanding fatty acids is an understanding of some very basic terminology that’s thrown around daily. An unsaturated fatty acid has at least one double bond like this fragment: (Actually a monounsaturated fat)
― C ― C = C ― C ―
And a saturated fatty acid has no double bonds like this fragment:
― C ― C ― C ― C ―
The key when all this is said and done, is how much chemistry do you really need to know to be able to understand Omega-3 fats? The simple answer is: really, not that much. As Albert Einstein was quoted as saying, “Imagination is more important than knowledge.” And at that I’ll finish this later.
(Omega end) C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-COOH (Delta end)
To describe an Omega-3, means count in from the Omega end three carbons and place a double bond. Count in 6 carbons and place a lone double bond and you get an Omega-6. You get the picture.
(Omega end) C(1)-C(2)-C(3)=C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-COOH (Delta end)
Silly, you thought that’s all there was to it. The Delta designation is there for a reason. In the
IUPAC system (International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry) the fatty acid is numbered from the opposite end (acid end) of the molecule where the first carbon is numbered from right to left as follows:
(Omega end) C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C=C-C-C-C-C-COOH (Delta end)
This would be called a Delta-6 fatty acid or in the lingo of pure and applied chemists, it would be denoted as a 16:1 Δ6. Is this shades of college chemistry or what?
Not to bore you with all the nomenclature, the Omega numbering system usually applies only to fatty acids with double bonds close to the Omega end; thus, Omega-3 fatty acids are all you really hear about.
A key to understanding fatty acids is an understanding of some very basic terminology that’s thrown around daily. An unsaturated fatty acid has at least one double bond like this fragment: (Actually a monounsaturated fat)
― C ― C = C ― C ―
And a saturated fatty acid has no double bonds like this fragment:
― C ― C ― C ― C ―
The key when all this is said and done, is how much chemistry do you really need to know to be able to understand Omega-3 fats? The simple answer is: really, not that much. As Albert Einstein was quoted as saying, “Imagination is more important than knowledge.” And at that I’ll finish this later.
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