Triglycerides

• What are they?

  A type of fat that circulates in your body. They are the most common fat found in your body.
• Are they polar or non-polar?


  non -polar
• What does non-polar mean?


  A molecule which does not have charges present as their electrons are evenly distributed. Meaning its hydrophobic- 'water hating'.
• What are they made from?

  One glycerol and three fatty acids.
• What is glycerol?


  An alcohol (an organic molecule that contains a hydroxyl group bonded to a carbon atom).
• What are fatty acids composed of?


  Fatty acids contain a methyl group at one end of a hydrocarbon chain known as the R group and at the other is a carboxyl group
• What are the 2 types of fatty acids


  Saturated and unsaturated
• Where are saturated fats usually found?


  Animal fats
• Where are unsaturated fats usually found?


  Mainly vegetable oils (exception to coconut and palm oil)
• What are triglycerides composed of?

  Three fatty acids and glycerol
• What type of reaction forms an ester bond between fatty acids and glycerol?

  Condensation reaction
• What products are formed from the hydrolysis of a triglyceride?

  Glycerol and three fatty acids
• How many different fatty acids are there?

  Over 70
• What functional group do all fatty acids contain?

  Carboxyl (--COOH) group
• What defines a saturated fatty acid?

  No carbon-carbon double bonds present
• What is a mono-unsaturated fatty acid?

  Has a single double bond
• What characterizes a polyunsaturated fatty acid?

  More than one double bond present
• How do double bonds affect the structure of fatty acids?

  They cause the molecule to bend
• Why are unsaturated fats typically liquid at room temperature?

  They cannot pack closely together
• What are trans-fatty acids characterized by?

  H atoms on opposite sides of the double bond
• Why are trans-fatty acids not metabolized?

  They cannot form enzyme-substrate complexes
• What health issue are trans-fatty acids linked with?

  Coronary heart disease
• What characterizes cis-fatty acids?

  H atoms on the same side of the double bond
• How are cis-fatty acids processed in the body?

  They are metabolized by enzymes