Alcohol Breakdown

I wouldn't say that acetic acid is the base for fatty acids, technically formic acid would be better, but propanoic acid, butanoic acid, etc. could be used as well. I'm not quite sure how the body builds fatty acids, so I can't really answer the question.
 
I did, but because they are listing acetic acid with the fatty ones, doesn't make it a base. It's an organic acid, or more specifically, a carboxylic acid. So are the ones I listed, the only difference being that formic acid (aka methanoic acid) has one fewer Carbon atoms, and the others, propanoic and butanoic, have one and two more Carbons respectively.

I know how they attach the fatty acids to glycerol to make a triglyceride, but I don't know how they build up the long carbon chains. They may be ingested and the structure preserved, or they may be synthesized, etc. I'm sure Hercules will know.
 
I seem to remember that they can made from sugars.. e.g. via insulin

I posted the question because a complete fool said to me that alcohol can make you fat. I pointed out that it was the sugar in lager that makes people fat. He went on to say that alcohol was chemically related to sugar. I told him the chem formula / structure of both and he sort of shut up (and I sounded like a c***).

To be on the safe side I googled alcohol breakdown when no one was looking and was horrified when I realised I might be wrong! :p
 
Alcohol consupmtion can make you fat, but it's not because of the alcohol. It's because most alcohols have a ton of carbohydrates. And, since you most likely are just sitting around drinking, then passing out or going to sleep, you aren't burning much of the energy you are consuming and it gets stored. Sugars do have hydroxyl groups which are the major part of alcohols.

I can't see the connection, but the body would have to transfer a long carbon chain onto the acetic acid...it seems there would an easier way.
 
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