{"schema":"https://ver.cy/schemas/card/1.0.0","id":"vr.tr.branched-chain-fatty-acids","code":"thing-q24901874","url":"https://ver.cy/models/thing/q24901874/","name":"branched chain fatty acids","alternateNames":["3-ethyl-3-methylpyruvic acid","(3S)-3-methyl-2-oxo-pentanoic acid","2,5-dimethyldodecanoic acid","17-methylnonadecanoic acid","21-methyltricosanoic acid","19-methylhenicosanoic acid","15,16-dimethyltriacontanedioic acid","3-Methyl-nonanoic acid","4,8-Dimethyl-dodecanoic acid","10,13-dimethyltetradecanoic acid","3-tert-Butyl-3-butenoic acid","14-Methyl-8E-hexadecenoic acid"],"kind":"thing","status":"published","version":"0.2.0-wave.4","language":"en","classifiers":{"family":"Thing Registry","category":"Physical world and living systems","entryKind":"thing","plane":"PHY","domain":["PHY.MAT"],"industry":[],"navPath":"","tags":[],"facets":{}},"whatItIs":"Fatty acids with one or more methyl or other alkyl branches on the carbon chain, most commonly iso and anteiso forms with a methyl branch near the end of the chain, abundant in bacterial membranes and in dairy and ruminant fats, and including the twenty-carbon long-chain example 17-methylnonadecanoic acid, very long chain examples such as 19-methylhenicosanoic and 21-methyltricosanoic acids, and internally branched acids such as 2,5-dimethyldodecanoic acid; the registry aliases 3-methyl-2-oxopentanoic acid and 3-ethyl-3-methylpyruvic acid are branched-chain keto acids rather than fatty acids and appear misfiled.","purpose":"Let an agent explain branched chain fatty acids, relay structures, sources, biological roles and nutrition research from lipid chemistry sources with evidence attributed, describe the named compounds and flag the keto acids, and distinguish BCFAs from straight-chain fatty acids, branched-chain amino acids and branched-chain keto acids.","scope":{"in":[],"out":[],"boundaries":[]},"distinguishingFeatures":["Methyl branches","Bacterial and ruminant sources","Lower melting points","Emerging nutrition research"],"structure":{"bundles":[{"id":"understand","name":"Understand","description":"What BCFAs are.","layers":[{"id":"definition","name":"Definition","description":"Definition.","findings":[{"id":"definition-finding","name":"Definition","description":"Definition.","questions":[{"text":"What are branched chain fatty acids, and how do they differ from straight-chain fatty acids, BCAAs and branched-chain keto acids?","kind":"definition"},{"text":"Is the question about chemistry, microbiology, nutrition or a metabolic disorder?","kind":"boundary"}]}]},{"id":"named","name":"Named","description":"Named compounds.","findings":[{"id":"named-finding","name":"Named","description":"Named.","questions":[{"text":"What are the named methyl-branched acids, and why are the two oxo acids different?","kind":"definition"},{"text":"Which entry fits the specific compound?","kind":"action"}]}]}]},{"id":"chemistry","name":"Chemistry","description":"Chemistry.","layers":[{"id":"structure","name":"Structure","description":"Structure.","findings":[{"id":"structure-finding","name":"Structure","description":"Structure.","questions":[{"text":"How do iso and anteiso branching affect melting point and packing?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Which references are standard?","kind":"provenance"}]}]},{"id":"biosynthesis","name":"Biosynthesis","description":"Biosynthesis.","findings":[{"id":"biosynthesis-finding","name":"Biosynthesis","description":"Biosynthesis.","questions":[{"text":"How do bacteria make BCFAs from branched-chain amino acid precursors?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Which sources are cited?","kind":"provenance"}]}]}]},{"id":"biology","name":"Biology","description":"Biology and nutrition.","layers":[{"id":"bacteria","name":"Bacteria","description":"Bacterial membranes.","findings":[{"id":"bacteria-finding","name":"Bacteria","description":"Bacteria.","questions":[{"text":"Why do many bacteria use BCFAs, and how are they used as biomarkers?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Which entry fits bacterial cell membrane?","kind":"action"}]}]},{"id":"nutrition","name":"Nutrition","description":"Nutrition.","findings":[{"id":"nutrition-finding","name":"Nutrition","description":"Nutrition.","questions":[{"text":"What does research suggest about dietary BCFAs, with findings attributed?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Is the presentation free of overstated claims?","kind":"boundary"}]}]}]},{"id":"context","name":"Context","description":"Related metabolism.","layers":[{"id":"keto","name":"Keto acids","description":"Branched-chain keto acids.","findings":[{"id":"keto-finding","name":"Keto acids","description":"Keto acids.","questions":[{"text":"How are branched-chain keto acids involved in maple syrup urine disease?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Which entry fits maple syrup urine disease?","kind":"action"}]}]},{"id":"phytanic","name":"Phytanic acid","description":"Phytanic acid.","findings":[{"id":"phytanic-finding","name":"Phytanic acid","description":"Phytanic acid.","questions":[{"text":"Why does phytanic acid build up in Refsum disease?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Which entry fits Refsum disease?","kind":"action"}]}]}]}]},"agentConduct":{"may":["Explain branched chain fatty acids, their forms and sources, from lipid chemistry sources.","Distinguish them from branched chain amino acids.","Relay research on their roles with appropriate caution."],"mustNot":["Overstate health benefits of foods rich in these fatty acids.","Confuse them with branched chain amino acids or keto acids.","Give individual diet advice for medical conditions.","Present early research as proven."],"requiresHuman":["Using lipid data for a patient's dietary treatment."]},"ethics":{"considerations":["Overstated nutrition claims mislead consumers.","Accurate chemistry matters for research and teaching."],"affectedParties":["Consumers","Researchers","Students"]},"owners":{"steward":"Nobody owns a class of compounds; chemical databases record them.","roles":[],"masterSystems":["Chemical substance databases"]},"relations":[{"target":"Q61476","type":"parent","note":"registry parent class"},{"target":"fatty acid","type":"related","note":"in registry terms"},{"target":"milk fat","type":"related"},{"target":"branched-chain amino acid","type":"related"},{"target":"branched-chain alpha-keto acid","type":"related","note":"misfiled aliases"}],"interaction":{"identity":{"applicability":"required","items":["Vercy registry: vr.tr.branched-chain-fatty-acids","Wikidata: Q24901874 (https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q24901874)"]},"properties":{"applicability":"required","items":["common forms: iso and anteiso list","main dietary sources: dairy and ruminant meat list","bacterial role: membrane fluidity note"]},"recognition":{"applicability":"required","items":["Fatty acids with alkyl branches","17-methylnonadecanoic acid, 19-methylhenicosanoic acid, 21-methyltricosanoic acid, 2,5-dimethyldodecanoic acid, 3-methyl-2-oxopentanoic acid, 3-ethyl-3-methylpyruvic acid","Straight-chain fatty acids lack branches; BCAAs are amino acids; branched-chain keto acids are amino acid breakdown products","Not a visible object; molecules."]},"capabilities":{"applicability":"required","items":["explain structure","relay sources and roles","describe named compounds","flag misfiled keto acids"]},"hazards":{"applicability":"required","items":["Overstating health claims","Confusing BCFAs with BCAAs","Registry aliases that are keto acids"]},"interfaces":{"applicability":"required","items":["IUPAC lipid nomenclature","Food composition databases"]},"context":{"applicability":"required","items":["Not applicable; a class of lipids.","iso fatty acids","anteiso fatty acids","multi-methyl branched acids","very long chain branched acids","phytanic and pristanic acids"]}},"sources":[{"title":"Wikidata item Q24901874: branched chain fatty acids","url":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q24901874","note":"identity and sense of the item"},{"title":"Wikipedia: Branched-chain fatty acid","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Branched-chain_fatty_acid","note":"general description of the item"}],"openQuestions":["The registry aliases 3-methyl-2-oxopentanoic acid and 3-ethyl-3-methylpyruvic acid should be moved to branched-chain keto acids","How should LIPID MAPS be linked?","How should nutrition evidence be kept current?"],"resources":{"spec":"/models/things/publications/thing-q24901874/spec.json"},"provenance":{"origin":"thing registry research (pass 2)","builtFrom":["models/things/publications/thing-q24901874/spec.json"],"providers":["Claude"],"researchStatus":"unreviewed","generatedAt":"2026-09-13T20:08:43Z","builder":"tools/build_cards.py@1.0.0"},"completeness":{"sections":{"classifiers":"filled","whatItIs":"filled","purpose":"filled","distinguishingFeatures":"filled","structure":"filled","agentConduct":"filled","ethics":"filled","owners":"filled","relations":"filled","interaction.identity":"filled","interaction.properties":"filled","interaction.recognition":"filled","interaction.capabilities":"filled","interaction.hazards":"filled","interaction.interfaces":"filled","interaction.context":"filled","sources":"filled"},"notes":{"_gate":"Published through the thing publication gate 1.0 on 2026-10-07T10:10:29+00:00: completeness 1.00; sense: Wikidata description; 2 live sources; review by codex: pass"},"score":1.0}}