Which of the following is a reasonable explanation for why unsaturated fatty acids help keep any membrane more fluid at lower temperatures?
A) The double bonds form kinks in the fatty acid tails, preventing adjacent lipids from packing tightly.
B) Unsaturated fatty acids have a higher cholesterol content and therefore more cholesterol in membranes.
C) Unsaturated fatty acids are more polar than saturated fatty acids.
D) The double bonds block interaction among the hydrophilic head groups of the lipids.
E) The double bonds result in shorter fatty acid tails and thinner membranes.
Examples of fatty acids
Fatty liver disease and cirrhosis of the liver.
A peroxidation reaction involving a fatty acid is depicted in the figure below.
Structures of the ionized forms of some representative fatty acids (part 2)
Overview of the fatty acid oxidation pathway
Creating Trans Fatty Acids Hydrogenating, or adding hydrogen