Unsaturated fatty acids are usually liquid at room temperature and are called oils. If there is one double bond, the triglyceride is said to be “ monounsaturated”, if it has multiple double bonds, it is “ polyunsaturated”. This generates fats that are usually solid at room temperature.Īlternatively, if one or more of the bonds between the carbon atoms are double bonds, the lipid is said to be “ unsaturated”. In the fatty acid chains, the carbon atoms could have single bonds between them making the lipid “ saturated”. The structure of the fatty acids influences the structure of the lipid. The bond that forms between the fatty acid chain and the glycerol is called an ester bond. The glycerol backbone becomes attached to the three fatty acids through a condensation reaction because three molecules of water are formed. Glycerol has three carbons, with 3 OH molecules attached. The fatty acids in the triglyceride could be the same or could have different structures. Fatty acids are chains of carbon atoms (between 14 and 22) with the end carbon possessing a carboxyl group (COOH). ![]() Triglycerides are made up of 3 fatty acid chains attached to a glycerol backbone. The most common type of lipids is called triglycerides. Lipids play a variety of important functions in the cells. Lipids are composed of the elements carbon, hydrogen and oxygen, similar to carbohydrates, but contain less water. ![]()
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