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The Chemistry Consortium
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Fats are compounds made up of C, H, O, except that they have less O atoms in their molecules than carbohydrates but have more energy. Fats could be identified if the ester functional group is present. Fat molecules are non-polar. In fact, fats are a subset of lipids. Lipids consists of 4 main groups : Fats, waxes, steroids, and hormones. Fats could be divided into 3 groups. Saturated fats mean that it has the maximum possible number of hydrogen atoms. Unsaturated fats mean that is has at least 1 double bond between the carbon atoms. Polyunsaturated fats mean that is has multiple double bonds, maybe even triple bonds, between the carbon atoms. Waxes makes the protection layers of many objects, such as the skin of fruits, feathers, skin of plants, exoskeletons of insects, animal fur etc. Steroids are the main component in cell membranes. Cholesterol is one good and common example of steroids. Hormones send chemical messages to the rest of the body. Adrenaline, testosterous, and estrogen are good examples of hormones.
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