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Questions and Answers
What are triacylglycerols primarily composed of?
What are triacylglycerols primarily composed of?
- Fatty acids alone without glycerol
- Glycerol without any fatty acids
- A glycerol esterified with two fatty acids
- A glycerol esterified with three fatty acids (correct)
Which of the following statements about mixed triacylglycerols is true?
Which of the following statements about mixed triacylglycerols is true?
- They are exclusively found in plant sources.
- They have two or three different fatty acids. (correct)
- They consist of three identical fatty acids.
- They cannot be hydrolyzed.
What occurs during the saponification process?
What occurs during the saponification process?
- Glycerol is esterified with one fatty acid.
- Fatty acids are polymerized into complex structures.
- Triacylglycerols are formed from fatty acids.
- Salts of free fatty acids and glycerol are produced. (correct)
Which statement accurately describes the storage location of triacylglycerols in animals?
Which statement accurately describes the storage location of triacylglycerols in animals?
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What is a common characteristic of monoacylglycerols and diacylglycerols compared to triacylglycerols?
What is a common characteristic of monoacylglycerols and diacylglycerols compared to triacylglycerols?
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Study Notes
Triacylglycerols: Energy Reserve
- Triacylglycerols (also known as triglycerides), are the main energy reserve in animals.
- They consist of glycerol esterified with three fatty acids.
- When all three fatty acids are the same, it's called a simple triacylglycerol, like tristearin and triolein.
- If there are two or three different fatty acids, it's called a mixed triacylglycerol.
- Primarily found in animal's adipose tissue (body fat) as an energy reservoir.
- Monoacylglycerols and diacylglycerols also exist, but are less common.
- Plant and animal fat are mixtures of simple and mixed triacylglycerols.
- Hydrolysis of acylglycerols can occur by heating with acid or base, or via lipases.
- Saponification refers to hydrolysis with alkali which produces salts of free fatty acids and glycerol.
- This process is how soap was traditionally made using potassium hydroxide (potash) from wood ashes.
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