Oils

Oils

The group of natural substances that includes fatty acids, compounds formed by fatty acids and substances that chemically bond with them is called fats . This definition was made by molecular biologist professor Walter Ray Bloor.

Walter Ray Bloor lists the properties that a substance must have in order to be called oil as follows:

They are naturally insoluble in water.

They are soluble in solvents such as ether, chloroform, benzene and acetone.

They must be in a structure that can be used by living beings.

It must be esters of fatty acids or esterifiable with fatty acids.

Fats are divided into vegetable oils and animal fats according to their source of production. Animal fats contain higher saturated fatty acids than vegetable oils and are generally solid at room temperature, while vegetable oils contain higher unsaturated fatty acids and are generally liquid at room temperature.

We can give examples of animal fats such as tail fat, kidney oil, conception oil, shirt oil, suet, egg oil, fish oil, chicken oil, and pork oil.

Vegetable oils, safflower oil, sunflower oil, sesame oil, olive oil, avocado oil, walnut oil, flaxseed oil, canola oil, cottonseed oil, corn oil, palm oil, shea oil, pumpkin seed oil, black cumin oil, pomegranate seed oil, grape seed oil, lavender oil, thyme oil, sage oil, orange peel oil, lemon peel oil, peppermint oil, rosemary oil, eucalyptus oil, sage oil, apricot kernel oil, rosehip oil, coconut oil are examples of vegetable oils.

Biological Functions of Fats

It is the structural component of biological membranes.

It is an energy reserve in the form of triacylglycerol (Triglyceride, TG).

It serves as a vitamin and hormone in the form of lipids and lipid derivatives.

They help solubilize and absorb lipids with lipophilic bile acids.

Fatty acids form triglycerides, phospholipids, and serve as precursors for eicosanoids.

Triglycerides are energy storage.

Phospholipids are the major constituents of cell membranes.

Cholesterol is the founder of cell membranes, the precursor for bile acids and steroid hormones.

Some fatty acids cannot be produced by the human metabolism and must be taken from outside.

For a healthy life and to sustain our existence, oils are among our basic needs. For this reason, we say that if water is life, oils are healthy life...