Maternal dietary fatty acids and their roles in human placental development

Fatty acids carry out many functions throughout the life cycle. Fatty acids are crucial for regulating the architecture, dynamics, phase transitions, and permeability of the cellular membranes. Besides, they are involved in the regulation of membrane ion gates, ion channels, receptors, and cell signaling and gene expression [1-4]. Essential fatty acids (EFAs) belong to the n-6 (omega-6) and n-3 (omega-3) families, starting with the precursors, linoleic acid,18:2n-6 (LA) and alpha-linolenic acid, 18:3n-3 (ALA).
Source: Prostaglandins, Leukotrienes and Essential Fatty Acids - Category: Biomedical Science Authors: Source Type: research