Fats and Oil
Fats belong to a group of a biological compounds called lipids. A fat, also known as a triglyceride, is constructed from two kinds of smaller molecules: glycerol and fatty acids.
Fatty acids are the building blocks of fat. To form a triglyceride molecule, three fatty acid molecules are joined to glycerol by an ester linkage. An ester linkage is a bond formed by a dehydration reaction between a hydroxyl group and a carboxyl group.
Based on the type of the fatty acid, fats can be saturated or unsaturated.
Fat mostly refers to fats that are solid at room temperature. Fats that are liquid at room temperature are called oils.
Read more:
References:
- OpenStax College, Biology OpenStax CNX. 30 May 2015