Video Transcript
Fill in the blank. A basic fat molecule is formed of
one blank and three fatty acids.
Fats, along with proteins and
carbohydrates, are important macromolecules that make up a large proportion of our
diet. Let’s review the structures of
these macromolecules to help us answer this question.
Carbohydrates refers to a broad
category that includes simple and complex sugars. Bread, pasta, and sugary foods like
sweets and cakes are foods that are high in carbohydrates. Carbohydrates can exist as simple
sugars — for instance, glucose — or complex sugars, like starch, which form when
many of repeating glucose molecules join together.
Starch and other complex
carbohydrates are therefore referred to as polymers, because they are made up of
many repeating units. Proteins are found in foods like
meat, fish, eggs, and pulses. Proteins are also considered
polymers because they are made up of many repeating units called amino acids. However, fats, also known as
lipids, are not considered polymers, as they are not made up of many repeating
units. A basic fat molecule is formed from
a glycerol backbone. And this glycerol backbone is
joined to three fatty acid molecules.
After reviewing these
macromolecules, we should now be able to answer our question. To complete the statement, a basic
fat molecule is formed of one glycerol and three fatty acids.
