essential fatty acid

(noun)

Any fatty acid required for the human metabolism that cannot be synthesized by the body and that must be present in the diet; it was originally designated as vitamin F.

Related Terms

Examples of essential fatty acid in the following topics:

  • Eicosanoids

    • In biochemistry, eicosanoids are signaling molecules made by oxidation of 20-carbon essential fatty acids (EFAs).
    • An excess of ω-6 to ω-3 fatty acids is common in western diets and is thought to encourage certain inflammatory disorders such as arthritis, cardiovascular disease, and cancers of the digestive system.

  • Lipids: Sources, Uses in the Body, and Dietary Requirements

    • Humans and other mammals require fatty acids such as linoleic acid (an omega-6 fatty acid) and alpha-linolenic acid (an omega-3 fatty acid), because they cannot be synthesized from simple precursors in the diet.
    • Fish oils are especially rich in the longer-chain omega-3 fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) .
    • Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is an omega-3 fatty acid.
    • It is essential for proper functioning of the brain in both adults and infants.
    • DHA concentrations in breast milk range from 0.07-1.0% of total fatty acids and are influenced by the amount of fatty fish in the mother's diet.

  • Bacterial Flora

    • For example, undigested polysaccharides (fiber) are metabolized to short-chain fatty acids by the bacteria in the large intestine, and then are absorbed by passive diffusion.
    • The bicarbonate that the large intestine secretes helps to neutralize the increased acidity that results from the formation of these fatty acids.
    • The normal flora is also essential for the development of certain tissues, including the cecum and lymphatics.

  • Carbohydrates: Sources, Uses in the Body, and Dietary Requirements

    • Carbohydrates, which break down to glucose, are a major source of energy for humans, but are not an essential nutrient.
    • Carbohydrates are a common source of energy in living organisms , however, a carbohydrate is not an essential nutrient in humans.
    • Humans can synthesize some glucose (in a set of processes known as "gluconeogenesis") from specific amino acids or from the glycerol backbone in triglycerides and, in some cases, from fatty acids.
    • In the case of protein, this is somewhat misleading as only some amino acids are able to undergo conversion into useful energy forms.

  • Absorption and Feces Formation in the Large Intestine

    • Undigested polysaccharides (fiber) are metabolized to short-chain fatty acids by bacteria in the large intestine and absorbed by passive diffusion.
    • The bicarbonate that the large intestine secretes helps to neutralize the increased acidity from the formation of fatty acids.
    • Intestinal flora are also essential in the development of certain tissues, including the cecum and lymphatics.

  • Digestive Processes of the Large Intestine

    • Bacteria turn carbohydrates they ferment into short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) by a form of fermentation called saccharolytic fermentation.
    • Products include acetic acid, propionic acid, and butyric acid.
    • They also help the body absorb essential dietary minerals such as calcium, magnesium, and iron.

  • Chemical Digestion of Carbohydrates, Proteins, Lipids, and Nucleic Acids

    • These enzymes break down food proteins into polypeptides, which are then broken down by various exopeptidases and dipeptidases into amino acids.
    • The presence of fat in the small intestine produces hormones that stimulate the release of pancreatic lipase from the pancreas, and bile from the liver, enabling the breakdown of fats into fatty acids.
    • Complete digestion of one molecule of fat (a triglyceride) results in three fatty acid molecules and one glycerol molecule.
    • Lipid digestion involves the formation of micelles in the presence of bile salts, and the passage of micelles and fatty acids through the unstirred layer.

  • Adjustments of the Infant at Birth

    • Cardiorespiratory monitoring is essential to track potential problems.
    • While the fetus is dependent on maternal glucose as the main source of energy, it can use lactate, free fatty acids, and ketone bodies under some conditions.
    • Brown fat is specialized adipose tissue with a high concentration of mitochondria designed to rapidly oxidize fatty acids in order to generate metabolic heat.

  • Digestive Processes of the Small Intestine

    • Proteins are degraded into small peptides and amino acids before absorption.
    • Carboxypeptidase, a pancreatic brush border enzyme, splits one amino acid at a time.
    • Aminopeptidase and dipeptidase free the end amino acid products.
    • Lipids (fats) are degraded into fatty acids and glycerol.
    • Pancreatic lipase breaks down triglycerides into free fatty acids and monoglycerides.

  • Functions of the Lymphatic System

    • The lymphatic system plays a prominent role in immune function, fatty acid absorption, and removal of interstitial fluid from tissues.
    • It is responsible for the removal and filtration of interstitial fluid from tissues, absorbs and transports fatty acids and fats as chyle from the digestive system, and transports many of the cells involved in immune system function via lymph.
    • The lymphatic system also facilitates fatty acid absorption from the digestive system.
    • During fat digestion, fatty acids are digested, emulsified, and converted within intestinal cells into a lipoprotein called chylomicrons.