In organic chemistry, an unsaturated compound is a chemical compound that contains carbon-carbon double bonds or triple bonds such as in alkenes or alkynes. In a saturated compound these double bonds are removed by the addition of hydrogen and no multiple bonds are present. Alkanes are an example of saturated compounds. It is in this sense that fatty acids are classified as saturated or unsaturated, according to their iodine number.

In a chain of carbons, such as a fatty acid, a double or triple bond will cause a kink in the chain. These kinks have macro-structural implications. Unsaturated fats tend to be liquid at room temperature, rather than solid, due to the kinks in the chain. The kinks prevent the molecules from packing closely together, forming a liquid. These fats are called oils and are present in fish and plants.

In other unsaturated hydrocarbons, the double bond between two carbons prevents rotation of the atoms about the bond, locking them into specific structural formations. When attached atoms occupy similar positions on each carbon, they are referred to as cis, and when they are on opposite sides, they are called trans. Most natural hydrocarbons exist in the cis state, but artificially manufactured hydrocarbons are of trans. The body lacks the enzymes to properly break down the trans configuration, which is why trans fats are viewed as dangerous and unhealthy: because they tend to build up. Unsaturated compounds of the two formations are classified as geometric isomers of one another.

[edit] See also

Saturation (chemistry)

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