Fatty acid
In chemistry, particularly in biochemistry, a fatty acid is a carboxylic acid with a long aliphatic chain, which is either saturated or unsaturated. Most naturally occurring fatty acids have an unbranched chain of an even number of carbon atoms, from 4 to 28. Fatty acids are usually not found in organisms, but instead as three main classes of esters: triglycerides, phospholipids, and cholesterol esters. In any of these forms, fatty acids are both important dietary sources of fuel for animals and they are important structural components for cells.
Alpha-Linolenic acid
α-Linolenic acid is a carboxylic acid with an 18-carbon chain and three "cis" double bonds. The first double bond is located at the third carbon from the methyl end of the fatty acid chain, known as the "n" end. Thus, α-linolenic acid is a polyunsaturated "n"−3 (omega-3) fatty acid. It is an isomer of gamma-linolenic acid (GLA), a polyunsaturated "n"−6 (omega-6) fatty acid.