ABSTRACT
Arachidonic acid (AA) is a long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid (LCPUFA) with 20 carbon atoms and 4 double bonds (Fig. 5.1). Its systematic name is (all-cis)-5,8,11,14eicosatetraenoic acid-in shorthand notation 20:4n-6. It is an important structural component of the lipids in the central neural system, including the brain. AA is also a biosynthetic precursor to several classes of biologically active metabolites, such as eicosanoids.
