Which statement best describes triglycerides?

Which statement best describes triglycerides?

• A. They are made of glycerol and three fatty acids
• B. They are made of amino acids
• C. They are made of nucleotides
• D. They are made of ribose sugar

Answer: (A)

Triglycerides are fats stored for long-term energy. They are made of a glycerol backbone with three fatty acid chains attached by ester bonds. Each fatty acid links to one hydroxyl group on glycerol, forming three ester bonds and releasing water in the process. This three-fatty-acid structure gives triacylglycerol its name and its highly energy-dense, hydrophobic character, ideal for storage in adipose tissue. The other descriptions point to different biomolecule families: amino acids build proteins, nucleotides form nucleic acids, and ribose sugar is a component of nucleotides and RNA. So, glycerol plus three fatty acids best describes triglycerides.

Triglycerides are fats stored for long-term energy. They are made of a glycerol backbone with three fatty acid chains attached by ester bonds. Each fatty acid links to one hydroxyl group on glycerol, forming three ester bonds and releasing water in the process. This three-fatty-acid structure gives triacylglycerol its name and its highly energy-dense, hydrophobic character, ideal for storage in adipose tissue. The other descriptions point to different biomolecule families: amino acids build proteins, nucleotides form nucleic acids, and ribose sugar is a component of nucleotides and RNA. So, glycerol plus three fatty acids best describes triglycerides.