- Triglyceride is a type of lipid which is made up of a glycerol backbone and three fatty acids
- Are hydrophobic
- Are not polymers – as they are not made up of repeating sub-units
- Structure of glycerol and formulas of various fatty acids are listed in the Data book
- Are important component of the plasma membrane – made up of phospholipids
Main roles of lipids:
- Structural component – plasma membrane
- Energy storage – fat storage in animals
- Cell signalling – component on the cell receptors that allows for cell-cell communication
Feedback
Want to suggest an edit? Have some questions? General comments? Let us know how we can make this resource more useful to you.