aliphatic
al-uh-FAT-ik
Definition
Relating to or denoting organic compounds in which carbon atoms form open chains, rather than aromatic rings.
Etymology
Derived from the Greek word 'aleiphar', meaning 'fat' or 'oil', because early identified compounds of this type were first isolated from fats.
In the news
The article uses 'aliphatic' to describe one of the specific chemical functional groups identified in the freshly ejected ice grains from Enceladus, helping scientists expand their understanding of the moon's complex organic composition.
Enceladus sprays water, phosphates, molecular hydrogen and complex organics straight out of its buried ocean — and a 2025 analysis found previously unseen organic compounds in freshly ejected ice, adding still more steps to the chemical pathways that c
Read the full article ↗ScienceBlog.com