Triglycerides are fat molecules that circulate in the blood. Triglycerides are transported back and forth from the cholesterol produced in the liver. Triglycerides are stored in fat tissue around the organs and under the skin. This gives the body a method for storing fuel. The triglycerides are retrieved for cells and oxidized. Oxidation of triglycerides produces the molecule necessary for energy.
Structure
The main molecule that produces the head of the triglyceride molecule is glycerol. Glycerol is a three-carbon molecule that has three OH groups. These OH groups make the molecule an alcohol, and through an ester reaction, the fatty acid chains are able to bond with the glycerol. The three fatty acid chains can vary in length and physical properties such as bonds and side-chains. The fatty acid composition is what determines the benefit for the body.
Types
There are two types of fatty acid chains that make up the triglyceride molecules. Fatty acid chains are long strands of carbons and hydrogens called hydrocarbons. Chains that have no double bonds are called saturated fatty acids. Fatty acid chains sometimes have double bonds, and these are called unsaturated. Double bonds in fatty acid chains cause kinks in the structure of the molecule. The kinks change the physical properties of the molecule.
Identification
Fatty foods can be identified by the molecule's properties at room temperature. Foods that remain as solids at room temperature are normally saturated fats. This is because the molecules can compact tightly. Unsaturated fatty acids have kinks in the tails, so they are unable to compact tightly. This causes the substance to be liquids at room temperature. Unsaturated fatty foods are substances like oils.
Considerations
There are two types of bonds in fatty acid molecules: trans and cis. Trans fats are associated with cancer, so they have been determined as dangerous. The trans and cis nomenclature is applied to the way the hydrogens are found in three-dimensional space on the triglyceride. Trans hydrogens are found on the opposite side of the carbon bonds. Cis bonds place the hydrogen on the same side of the triglyceride chains. The differences for these bonds are significant in how the fatty acid molecule is oxidized in the cell.
Effects
Triglycerides and fats absorbed from the diet are important in providing the body with energy. Triglycerides and fats also play other roles. Some fat molecules are used in the cellular membrane to control permeability of the cell. Fat molecules are also used in hormone synthesis and cholesterol production.
