Which molecule is formed from one fatty acid and one glycerol?

Which molecule is formed from one fatty acid and one glycerol?

• A. Phospholipid
• B. Steroid
• C. Wax
• D. Triglyceride

Answer: (C)

The molecule formed from one fatty acid and one glycerol is a triglyceride. In the structure of a triglyceride, three fatty acid molecules are esterified to one glycerol molecule. When only one fatty acid and one glycerol are combined, this does not lead to a complete triglyceride structure but forms a monoacylglycerol. Phospholipids, on the other hand, are composed of two fatty acids and one glycerol backbone, along with a phosphate group, which allows them to form the bilayers found in cell membranes. Steroids have a completely different structure, characterized by a four-ring carbon skeleton, and do not form from fatty acids and glycerol. Waxes consist of long-chain fatty acids linked to long-chain alcohols and do not directly involve glycerol in their formation. Therefore, understanding the basic structures of these molecules clarifies why a fatty acid and glycerol together create a different compound compared to the others listed.

The molecule formed from one fatty acid and one glycerol is a triglyceride. In the structure of a triglyceride, three fatty acid molecules are esterified to one glycerol molecule. When only one fatty acid and one glycerol are combined, this does not lead to a complete triglyceride structure but forms a monoacylglycerol.

Phospholipids, on the other hand, are composed of two fatty acids and one glycerol backbone, along with a phosphate group, which allows them to form the bilayers found in cell membranes. Steroids have a completely different structure, characterized by a four-ring carbon skeleton, and do not form from fatty acids and glycerol. Waxes consist of long-chain fatty acids linked to long-chain alcohols and do not directly involve glycerol in their formation.

Therefore, understanding the basic structures of these molecules clarifies why a fatty acid and glycerol together create a different compound compared to the others listed.