88 ELEMENTARY AGRICULTURAL CHEMISTRY 



H 



I 

 H— C— 



I 

 H— C^ 



I 

 H— C— 



I 

 H 



Thus glyceryl stearate would be C3H5(C,gH3.02),. 



Glyceryl is present in all true fats. The organic acids, 

 however, vary in different fats, and are usually of high mole- 

 cular weight. Many of them belong to the saturated series of 

 fatty acids, of which formic acid is the simplest example : 



H 



I 

 = C-0— H 



From this iirst member a series of fatty acids arises by the 

 successive substitutions of CH3 groups for hydrogen. Thus: 



H 



I 

 H— C— H 



I 

 0==C — — H is acetic acid. 



H 



I 

 H— C— H 



I 

 H— C—H 



I 

 H— C— H 



I 

 = C — — H is butyric acid 



