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Questions and Answers
What are triacylglycerols primarily composed of?
Which of the following statements about mixed triacylglycerols is true?
What occurs during the saponification process?
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?
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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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Description
This quiz focuses on the role of triacylglycerols as the primary energy reserve in animals. It covers their structure, types, and the processes related to their hydrolysis, including saponification. Test your knowledge on how these lipids function in biological systems.
