An example of an even fatty acid is stearic acid.
Fatty acids are carboxylic acids with a long aliphatic tail, and they can be categorized based on the number of carbon atoms they contain. Most naturally occurring fatty acids have an even number of carbon atoms. This is because they are synthesized from acetyl-CoA, which has two carbon atoms.
Even-Chained Fatty Acids
Even-chained fatty acids are those that contain an even number of carbon atoms. These are far more common than odd-chained fatty acids.
Examples of even-chained fatty acids include:
- Stearic Acid (C18:0): A saturated fatty acid with 18 carbon atoms.
- Oleic Acid (C18:1): A monounsaturated fatty acid with 18 carbon atoms.
- Palmitic Acid (C16:0): A saturated fatty acid with 16 carbon atoms.
- Myristic Acid (C14:0): A saturated fatty acid with 14 carbon atoms.
- Lauric Acid (C12:0): A saturated fatty acid with 12 carbon atoms.
In summary, even fatty acids are more prevalent in nature due to their biosynthesis pathway. Stearic acid serves as a readily available example.
