What are fats? Detailed answer

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What are fats? Detailed answer

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What are fats?

Fats are part of the organisms of plants and animals in a liquid or solid state. Most animal fats are in a solid state. Liquid fats are also called fatty oils. However, not all oils are fats.

Whether liquid or solid, fats share a common characteristic: they do not dissolve in water. Water does not even wet fats - it does not spread over the surface, but is collected in droplets. Fats are lighter than water: this is why fats and oils float on the surface of water.

The study of fats showed that they are all composed of three chemical elements: carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. Therefore, these are organic compounds. As a result of chemical reactions, fats decompose into components, one of which is always glycerol. The second component is "fatty acid". The different components of the fatty acid and lead to the presence of different types of fats and oils.

Fats do not dissolve in water, but dissolve well in other liquids, such as gasoline. Some of these liquids that remove grease stains are marketed as "stain removers".

If you boil fat with alkali, you get glycerin and soap. Soap is nothing but an alkaline salt of a fatty acid. This process is called "saponification". If the fat is shaken or treated with soapy water, the fat breaks down and forms a mass of bubbles, causing the water to become milky. This process is called "emulsification" and all fats can be emulsified.

Together with carbohydrates and proteins (proteins), fats belong to the three main types of human food. They are emulsified in the body and burned to produce energy. In terms of energy content, 30 grams of fat is equivalent to about 60 grams of carbohydrates or protein.

Both solid and liquid fats quickly deteriorate when exposed to air for a long time. They become "rancid", that is, they acquire an unpleasant taste and smell. This is because the fat breaks down and the fatty acid changes its chemical composition.

Author: Likum A.

Random interesting fact from the Great Encyclopedia:

In which country is a separate concrete bunker built for each family?

In 1967, the ruler of socialist Albania, Enver Hoxha, launched a program of general "bunkerization" of the country in case of war. It operated for almost 20 years, during which time more than 700 concrete bunkers were built - one for each family. On average, there were 24 bunkers for every square kilometer of Albanian territory. Today, they have been partially dismantled in the cities, but most remain standing and are the most recognizable feature of the Albanian landscape. Some bunkers have been converted into cafes or mini-hotels, and teenagers have found their most popular use for dates.

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