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Toggle Biological importance subsection. 1.1 Adipose tissue. ... In nutrition, biology, and chemistry, fat usually means any ester of fatty acids, ...
In 1827, William Prout recognized fat ("oily" alimentary matters), along with protein ("albuminous") and carbohydrate ("saccharine"), as an important nutrient for humans and animals. [ 13 ] [ 14 ] For a century, chemists regarded "fats" as only simple lipids made of fatty acids and glycerol (glycerides), but new forms were described later.
Lipid metabolism is the synthesis and degradation of lipids in cells, involving the breakdown and storage of fats for energy and the synthesis of structural and functional lipids, such as those involved in the construction of cell membranes. In animals, these fats are obtained from food and are synthesized by the liver. [1]
Food sources of healthy fats incl Design: Eat This, Not That!When it comes to navigating the world of fats, it's important to remember that not all fats are created equal.
"It is more important to lower saturated fat intake than it is to lower dietary cholesterol," Dr. Ni says. "While it is true that dietary cholesterol and saturated fat go together in many foods ...
In humans and many animals, fats serve both as energy sources and as stores for energy in excess of what the body needs immediately. Each gram of fat when burned or metabolized releases about nine food calories (37 kJ = 8.8 kcal). [5] Fats are also sources of essential fatty acids, an important dietary requirement.
The cAMP activates a protein kinase, which phosphorylates and thus, in turn, activates a hormone-sensitive lipase in the fat cell. This lipase cleaves free fatty acids from their attachment to glycerol in the fat stored in the fat droplet of the adipocyte. The free fatty acids and glycerol are then released into the blood.
Essential fatty acids, or EFAs, are fatty acids that are required by humans and other animals for normal physiological function that cannot be synthesized in the body. [1] [2] As they are not synthesized in the body, the essential fatty acids – alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) and linoleic acid – must be obtained from food or from a dietary supplement.