polyunsaturated /-unsach″ərā′tid/ [Gk, polys, many; AS, un, not; L, saturare, to fill] , pertaining to a chemical compound containing more than one double or triple bond that can be opened to accept more atoms into the molecule, thereby making the compound saturated. A polyunsaturated fatty acid is one in which there are two or more double bonds in the chain of carbon atoms that can be opened to accept hydrogen atoms.
