Question

Which of the following is not a similarity between triglycerides and phospholipids?

a) Both use ester bonds to link the fatty acids
b) Both have a glycerol backbone
c) Both are amphipathic
d) Both have at least one fatty acid tail

Answer 1

Triglycerides are not amphipathic as they do not possess hydrophilic regions unlike phospholipids, which have both hydrophilic heads and hydrophobic tails.

Step-by-step explanation:

The option that is not a similarity between triglycerides and phospholipids is c) Both are amphipathic. While phospholipids are indeed amphipathic due to having both hydrophilic heads and hydrophobic tails, triglycerides are not. Triglycerides are composed of three fatty acids attached to a glycerol backbone, making them hydrophobic but not amphipathic, as they lack a polar, hydrophilic region. Phospholipids have a glycerol backbone with two fatty acid chains and a phosphate-containing group which gives them hydrophilic properties as well.