Acyl group

An acyl group is a bunch of atoms that like to hang out together. They are made up of a carbon atom joined to an oxygen atom by a double bond, and two more atoms hanging off the carbon. The two hanging atoms can be different things, like hydrogen, or they can be bigger groups of atoms, like methyl or ethyl.

Think of it like playground buddies. The carbon and the oxygen are best friends because they are always holding hands with the double bond. The two other atoms are like friends that like to hang out with them all the time.

Acyl groups are found in things like fats and oils, and they help to make molecules that our bodies use for energy. They are also important in a process called esterification, where two molecules join together and make a new one with an acyl group hanging off of it.