Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is an omega-3 fatty acid that is a primary structural component of the human brain, cerebral cortex, skin, sperm, testicles and retina. It can be synthesized from alpha-linolenic acid or obtained directly from maternal milk or fish oil. DHA’s structure is a carboxylic acid(~oic acid) with a 22-carbon chain (docosa- is Greek for 22) and six cis double bonds (-en~); the first double bond is located at the third carbon from the omega end.