CONSTITUENTS OF THE BIOSPHERE 



of the unsaturated series is acrylic acid, corresponding to propylene, allyl 

 alcohol and acraldehyde (acrolein). 



CH2 



II 

 CH 



I 

 CH2OH 



Allyl alcohol 



CH. 



II 

 CH 



I 



// 



O 



o 



\ 



OH 



Acrylic acid 



CH2 

 II 



CH 



\ 



H 



Acraldehyde 

 (Acrolein) 



(a) Saturated Fatty Acids 



These are all members of a homologous series of general formula 

 RCOOH, where R represents an aliphatic chain of the type CH3(CH2)a; 

 or CnH2n+i. The lower members are volatile liquids. Those with six to 

 nine carbon atoms are oily liquids. Above ten carbon atoms these sub- 

 stances are solid. 



Table III 

 Natural saturated fatty acids Cn^inOz 



