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Which of the following constitutes a fat molecule?

A. A single carbon, a single hydrogen and a single oxygen molecule
B. 3 fatty acid molecules and a single glycerol molecule
C. A single molecule of glycerol and 3 molecules of stearic acid
D. 3 glycerol molecules and a single fatty acid molecule

User FemtoRgon
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1 Answer

3 votes

Final answer:

A fat molecule, commonly called a triglyceride, consists of 3 fatty acid molecules and a single glycerol molecule, making option B the correct answer.

Step-by-step explanation:

The fat molecule question asked which of the provided choices constitutes a fat molecule. The correct answer is that a fat molecule is composed of 3 fatty acid molecules and a single glycerol molecule. Specifically, a fat molecule, often known as a triglyceride, is formed when each of the three hydroxyl (OH) groups on the glycerol molecule is esterified with a fatty acid, resulting in the creation of three ester bonds through a dehydration synthesis reaction.

A fat molecule does not consist of a single carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen atom (incorrect option A), nor does it consist of 3 glycerol molecules and a single fatty acid (incorrect option D). A typical triglyceride is made from naturally occurring fats and oils and often contains two or three different fatty acid components, as opposed to all the same, thus called a mixed triglyceride.

User Henrique Bruno
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