composition of fats

• the chemical name for a fat molecule is a triglyceride
• triglycerides are 1 part glycerol and 3 parts fatty acids
• a fatty acid can either be saturated or unsaturated
• fats and oils are composed of the elements carbon, hydrogen and oxygen
• fats and oils are made up of different types of fatty acids and glycerol
• a fatty acid is made up of a chain of carbon atoms with a methyl group at one end and an acid group at the other
• each atom in between has either one or two atoms attatched
• fatty acid chains are made of carbon and hydrogen
• our body breaks fat down into fatty acids during digestion