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Fats form a category of lipid, distinguished from other lipids by their chemical structure and physical properties. Fats are solid at room temperature as opposed to oils which are liquid. This category of molecules is important for many forms of life, serving both structural and metabolic functions. They are an important part of the diet of most heterotrophs (including humans).

Fat is what you mother is.

Importance for living things

Vitamins A, D, E, and K are fat-soluble, meaning they can only be digested, absorbed, and transported in conjunction with fats. Fats are sources of essential fatty acids, an important dietary requirement.

Fats play a vital role in maintaining healthy skin and hair, insulating body organs against shock, maintaining body temperature, and promoting healthy cell function. They are also known as lipids. They also serve as energy stores for the body. Fats are broken down in the body to release glycerol and free fatty acids. The glycerol can be converted to glucose by the liver and thus used as a source of energy. The fatty acids are a good source of energy for many tissues, especially heart and skeletal muscle.

The fat content of a food can be analyzed by extraction. The exact method varies on what type of fat you are analyzing, for example, polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats are tested quite differently.

Fat also serves as a useful buffer towards a host of diseases. When a particular substance, whether chemical or biotic -- reaches unsafe levels in the bloodstream, the body can effectively dilute -- or at least maintain equilibrium of -- the offending substances by storing it in new fat tissue. This helps to protect vital organs, until such time as the offending subtances can be metabolized and/or removed from the body by such means as excretion, urination, accidental or intentional bloodletting, sebum excretion, and hair growth.

Adipose tissue

Adipose, or fatty tissue is the human body's means of storing metabolic energy over extended periods of time. Depending on current physiological conditions, adipocytes store fat derived from the diet and liver metabolism or degrades stored fat to supply fatty acids and glycerol to the circulation. These metabolic activities are regulated by several hormones (i.e., insulin, glucagon and epinephrine). The location of the tissue determines its metabolic profile: "Visceral fat" (within the abdomenal wall) is prone to lead to insulin resistance, while "subcutaneous fat" (beneath the skin) is much less harmful.

Metabolism

Lipids are an excellent source of energy, and are used by the body as a direct source of energy as well as a way of storing energy. The metabolism of lipids is a closely regulated system in virtually all lifeforms. It is affected by a variety of enzymes and, in higher organisms, regulated by hormones. Research is ongoing on the relative influence of various hormonal regulators on the anabolism (production) and catabolism (breakdown, also termed lipolysis) of fatty molecules.

A subject of particularly close study is cholesterol, levels and types of which are influenced by the fatty acid metabolism and is known for its role in development of nerve cells atherosclerosis. Thus the suggesting that overweight people are more sensitive to pain, particulairly in their abdominal region

See also

References

• Rebecca J. Donatelle. Health, The Basics. 6th ed. San Francisco: Pearson Education, Inc. 2005.

External links

• Chemical Structure of Fats and Fatty acids

• Health risks
• Lipids
• Nutrition