WANI Dictionary

Fatty acid

In a narrow sense, fatty acid is a molecule consisting of a hydrocarbon chain of varying carbon numbers (typically 4 to 28) and a terminal carboxyl group (-COOH).

A broad definition of fatty acid includes all acyclic aliphatic carboxylic acids. In this case, formic acid (HCOOH) is the simplest fatty acid.

Definitions in the literature

• ... any member of the family of continuous-chain carboxylic acids that generally contain four to twenty carbon atoms; the most concentrated source of energy used by the cell [1].
• An organic compound consisting of a hydrocarbon chain and a terminal carboxyl group [2].
• an organic molecule composed of a long chain of carbon atoms, with a carboxylic acid (-COOH) group at one end [3].
• Organic compound with an acidic carboxyl group “head” and a long carbon chain “tail” [4].
• Aliphatic monocarboxylic acids derived from or contained in esterified form in an animal or vegetable fat, oil or wax. Natural fatty acids commonly have a chain of 4 to 28 carbons (usually unbranched and even-numbered), which may be saturated or unsaturated. By extension, the term is sometimes used to embrace all acyclic aliphatic carboxylic acids [5].