Polyunsaturated fatty acid

A fatty acid whose hydrocarbon chain contains two or more carbon–carbon double bonds. Its multiple double bonds affect its shape, chemical reactivity, and behavior in membranes and foods.

Fatty acid: A carboxylic acid with a hydrocarbon chain, found in fats and other biological molecules. Polyunsaturated fatty acids are defined by the number of double bonds in this broader class.
Lipid bilayer: A two-layer arrangement of lipid molecules that forms the basic structure of cell membranes. Polyunsaturated chains alter how tightly membrane lipids pack.
Alpha-linolenic acid: An eighteen-carbon omega-3 fatty acid with three cis double bonds, essential in the human diet. It is the plant-derived essential omega-3 precursor.
Saturated fatty acid: A fatty acid whose hydrocarbon chain contains no carbon–carbon double bonds. It lacks the double bonds that distinguish polyunsaturated fatty acids.
Cis–trans isomerism: A form of geometric isomerism in which groups differ in their arrangement across a double bond. The geometry of each double bond bends or straightens the chain.
Membrane fluidity: The ease with which molecules move within a biological membrane. Cis double bonds impede close packing and generally increase fluidity.
Linoleic acid: An eighteen-carbon omega-6 fatty acid with two cis double bonds, essential in the human diet. It supplies the essential omega-6 precursor required for human nutrition.
Monounsaturated fatty acid: A fatty acid whose hydrocarbon chain contains exactly one carbon–carbon double bond. It has fewer double bonds and generally less oxidative vulnerability.
Omega-3 fatty acid: A polyunsaturated fatty acid whose first double bond lies three carbon atoms from the methyl end. This family is classified by the position of its first double bond.
Lipid peroxidation: Oxidative damage to lipids caused by reactions with reactive oxygen species or related oxidants. Double-bond-adjacent hydrogens make these chains especially susceptible to oxidation.

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