💡Glycerol

Structure: 3 carbons, each bonded to a hydroxyl group (-OH), which makes it an alcohol.

Properties: Due to the hydroxyl groups (-OH), glycerol are polar, hydrophilic and soluble in water.

💡Fatty acids

Watch the video from 0:00 - 1:33 to gain an understanding on the difference between the structure of a saturated fatty acid and an unsaturated fatty acid.

Chemical structures of fatty acids

You will come across 2 common ways that fatty acids are represented. You do not need to know the names and structures of all the fatty acids, but rather, be able to understand what the structure is showing. 

You will need to be able to recognise the following in a fatty acid:

• hydrocarbon chain - chain of carbons joined together, with hydrogen filling up the other available bonds

  • Note that sometimes this is abbreviated as an 'R'

• C=C double bonds in the hydrocarbon chain, if any

• Carboxyl group (-COOH) 

The figure on the right show cases 2 ways which the chemical structure of Oleic acid can be represented. Take note of how the hydrocarbon chains are represented in both structures.