Triglycerides and fatty acids
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All 14 Flashcards — Triglycerides and fatty acids
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Question
What is a triglyceride made of?
Answer
**One glycerol** joined to **three fatty acids**.
Question
Define glycerol.
Answer
A small **3-carbon** molecule with **three —OH (hydroxyl) groups**; it forms the **backbone** of a triglyceride.
Question
Define a fatty acid.
Answer
A long **hydrocarbon chain** ending in a **—COOH (carboxyl) group**, which is where it joins the glycerol.
Question
What bond joins a fatty acid to glycerol?
Answer
An **ester bond**.
Question
How many ester bonds are in one triglyceride?
Answer
**Three** — one for each of the three fatty acids.
Question
Name the reaction that builds a triglyceride.
Answer
**Condensation** — it forms the ester bonds and **removes water** (one H₂O per bond, three in total).
Question
Name the reaction that breaks a triglyceride.
Answer
**Hydrolysis** — it **adds water** (three H₂O) to break the three ester bonds.
Question
What are the products of hydrolysing a triglyceride?
Answer
**One glycerol** and **three fatty acids**.
Question
What makes a fatty acid saturated?
Answer
Its carbon chain has **only single C–C bonds** — it holds the **maximum** hydrogen and the chain is **straight**.
Question
What makes a fatty acid unsaturated?
Answer
Its chain has **one or more C=C double bonds**, which put a **kink** in the chain.
Question
How do you spot an unsaturated fatty acid in a diagram?
Answer
Look for a **C=C double bond** (and a **kink**) in the carbon chain.
Question
Why are unsaturated fats usually liquid oils at room temperature?
Answer
Their **kinked chains** cannot pack closely together, so they stay **liquid**.
Question
Saturated vs unsaturated — which is usually solid?
Answer
**Saturated** fats are usually **solid** (e.g. butter); unsaturated are usually **liquid oils** (e.g. olive oil).
Question
How many water molecules are released when one triglyceride forms?
Answer
**Three** — one per ester bond formed by condensation.
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Topic 2.1 hub
Carbohydrates and lipids
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