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If you are unsure which nutrition certification is right for you, I recommend that you take the quiz or check out my article on the top nutrition certifications. This is especially true because the FNS is slightly out of date.
Important definitions to memorize forย Chapter 5 of the NASM FNS
Adipocytes ~ Fat cells
Adipose Tissue ~ Body fat tissue
Alpha-Linolenic Acid ~ a vital omega-3 fatty acid (PUFA) that contains eighteen carbon atoms and three carbon-carbon double bonds (18:3)
Chain Length ~ย the numberย of carbons that aย fatty acid tailย contains. Foods contain fatty acids with chain lengths ofย fourย toย twenty-fourย carbons, and most haveย an even numberย of carbons.
Cholesterol ~ A waxy lipid (sterol) whose chemical structure contains multiple hydrocarbon rings
Choline ~ A nitrogen-containing compoundย that’sย a part ofย phosphatidylcholine, aย type of phospholipid.ย Cholineย is additionallyย a part ofย theย neurotransmitterย acetylcholine. The body synthesizesย cholineย from theย essential amino acidย methionine.
Chylomicron ~ย a largeย lipoproteinย particleย synthesizedย inย intestinalย cells following the absorption of dietary fats. Aย chylomicronย has aย central core of triglycerides andย cholesterolย enclosedย by phospholipids and proteins.
Cisย fatty acidย ~ Unsaturatedย fatty acidย in whichย the hydrogensย encompassingย a double aย areย bothย onย the identicalย sideย of the carbon chain,ย causingย a bendย within theย chain. Mostย naturally occurringย unsaturated fatty acids are cis fatty acids.
Conjugatedย linolic acid ~ Aย polyunsaturatedย fatty acidย in whichย the position of the double bonds hasย moved,ย soย oneย bond alternates withย 2ย double bonds.
Desaturation ~ Insertion of double bonds into fatty acids to convert them into new fatty acids
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Diglycerides ~ Molecules composed of glycerol combined with 2 fatty acids
Eicosanoids ~ a class of hormone-like substances synthesized in the body from long-chain fatty acids
Elongation ~ Addition of carbon atoms to fatty acids to elongate them into new fatty acids
Essential Fatty Acids ~ The fatty acids that the bodyย requiresย butย cannot synthesize andย thatย shouldย be obtained from the diet.
Ester ~ A chemical combination ofย anย organic acid (e.g., fatty acids)ย and alcohol.ย Onceย hydrogenย from the alcohol combines with the acid’sย hydrogenย andย oxygen, water isย dischargedย and anย esterย linkageย is created. Aย triglycerideย isย anย esterย ofย 3ย fatty acids andย a glycerol backbone.
Esterification ~ A condensation reactionย within whichย anย organic acid (e.g., fatty acids) combines with alcohol with the loss of water,ย makingย anย ester bond
Fat Replacers ~ Compounds that imitate theย functionalย and sensory properties of fatsย contain lessย bioavailableย energy than fats.
Fatty Acids ~ Compounds containing a protracted hydrocarbon chain with a carboxyl group (COOH) at one end and a methyl group (CH3) at the opposing end
Glycerol ~ย alcohol that containsย 3ย carbon atoms,ย eachย ofย whichย hasย anย attachedย hydroxylย (-OH). It forms the backbone of mono-, di-, and triglycerides.
High-Density Lipoproteins (HDL) ~ The blood lipoproteins that contain high levels ofย proteinย and low levels of triglycerides. Synthesized primarilyย within theย liverย and small intestine,ย HDLย picks upย cholesterolย dischargedย from dying cells andย otherย sources and transfers it toย otherย lipoproteins.
Hydrogenation ~ Aย chemical reactionย during whichย hydrogenย atoms areย addedย to carbon-carbon double bonds,ย changingย them to single bonds.ย Hydrogenationย of monosaturated andย unsaturatedย fatty acids reducesย the numberย of double bonds they contain, therebyย makingย themย moreย saturated.
Hydrophilic ~ย readilyย interacting with water (literally, “water-loving”).ย Deliquescentย compounds are polar and soluble in water.
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Hydrophobic ~ Insoluble in water
Lipoprotein ~ Complexes that transport lipidsย within theย human blood. Theyย compriseย a central core of triglycerides andย sterolsย encircledย by a shell composed of proteins and phospholipids.ย The variousย forms ofย lipoproteinsย differย in size, composition, and density.
Lipoproteinย lipaseย ~ย the mainย acceleratorย liable forย three hydrolysesย of plasma triglycerides
Low-Density Lipoproteins (LDL) ~ The cholesterol-richย lipoproteins / adipoproteins that result from the bicelles ~ย Smallย emulsifiedย fat packetsย which canย enter enterocytes. The complexes are composed ofย surfactantย moleculesย orientatedย with their hydrophobicย halfย facing inward and theirย hydrophilicย halfย facing outward towardย the encompassingย aqueousย surroundings. Breakdown and removal of triglycerides from intermediate-density lipoproteinย within theย blood
Monoglycerides ~ Molecules composed of glycerol combined with one fatty
Monounsaturated fatty acid ~ A lipid in which the carbon chain contains one double bond (either cis or trans)
Nonessential Fatty Acids ~ The fatty acids your body will build once required.ย it’sย not necessary to consume themย in theย diet
Omega-3 Fatty Acids ~ Any unsaturated fatty acyl in which the primary double bond starting from the methyl group (CH3) end of the molecule lies between the third and fourth carbon atoms
Omega-6 fatty acid ~ Any unsaturated fatty acyl in which the primary double bond starting from the methyl group (CH3) end of the molecule lies between the sixth and seventh carbon atoms
Omega-9 fatty acid ~ Any unsaturated fatty acyl in which the primary double bond starting from the methyl group (CH3) end of the molecule lies between the ninth and tenth carbon atoms
Oxidation ~ย oxygenย attaches to the double bonds of unsaturated fatty acids. Rancid fats areย oxidizedย fats.
Phosphateย groupย ~ Aย chemical functional groupย (-Pร) onย a biggerย moleculeย whereย theย phosphate atomย is single-bondedย to eachย of the four oxygens and theย other bondย of 1ย of the oxygens isย connectedย toย the remainderย of the molecule.ย Usually,ย hydrogenย atoms areย connectedย to oxygens.ย Typicallyย there are double bonds between theย phosphateย and anย oxygen atom.
Phytosterols ~ Sterols found in plants. Phytosterols are poorly absorbed by humans andย scale backย the entericย absorption ofย sterol.ย They haveย been used as sterol-lowering food ingredients.
Polyunsaturatedย fatty acylย ~ Aย fatty acid moleculeย in whichย the carbon chain containsย 2ย orย more double bonds.
Saturated Fatty Acids ~ Aย fatty acylย fullyย filledย byย protonsย with all carbonsย within theย chainย coupledย by single bonds.
Squalene ~ Aย cholesterinย precursor found in whale liver and plants.
Sterols ~ Aย classย of lipidsย that hasย cholesterol. Sterols are hydrocarbons withย 3ย rings in their structures.
Subcutaneous Fat ~ Fat storedย beneathย the skin
Trans Fatty Acids ~ Unsaturated fatty acidsย in whichย the hydrogensย encompassingย aย double bondย are on opposite sides of the carbon chain. This straightens the chain,ย and therefore theย fatty acidย becomesย moreย solid.
Triglycerides ~ Fats composed ofย 3ย fatty acylย chainsย joinedย to aย glycerolย molecule.
Unsaturated fatty acid ~ A fatty acyl chain in which the carbon chain contains one or a lot of double bonds
Veryย low-densityย Lipoproteins (VLDL) ~ The triglyceride-rich lipoproteinsย createdย in theย liver.ย Very Low-Density Lipoprotein enters theย bloodย and isย graduallyย acted upon by lipoproteinย lipase,ย releasingย triacylglyceridesย to body cells.
Visceral Fat ~ Fat stores that cushion body organs
Tyler Read
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