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Lipids form through dehydration reaction releasing water

Question asked:

“Lipids, like the triglyceride above, are formed when glycerol and fatty acids go through a dehydration reaction. During the dehydration reaction, water is released. The bond formed during the reaction is a covalent bond. The formation of a covalent bond instead of a non-covalent bond is important because of the stability a covalent bond provides.”
Correct
Confidence: High Checked on August 30, 2026

Summary

Triglycerides are created by esterifying glycerol with three fatty acids through a dehydration (esterification) reaction that releases three water molecules. The resulting ester linkages are covalent bonds, and their covalent nature gives the molecule greater chemical stability compared to non‑covalent interactions.

Sources 59 searched

pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
sciencedirect.com
  • Triacylglycerol - an overview | ScienceDirect Topics

    Triacylglycerols are formed by linking fatty acids with an ester linkage to three alcohol groups in glycerol. Triacylglycerols are the form in which fat energy is stored in adipose tissue. Triacylglycerols are sometimes referred to as triglycerides.

  • Triglyceride - an overview | ScienceDirect Topics

    Triglycerides are simple lipid which constituted one molecule of glycerol and three molecules of fatty acids. Triglyceride is the storage form of lipid , which is used for energy production. Triglycerides are found circulating in the blood where they are transported by very-low-density lipoprotein (VLDL).

books.byui.edu
  • Triglycerides - EdTech Books - BYU-Idaho

    A triglyceride is formed by attaching a fatty acid to the hydroxyl group (-OH) of each of these 3 carbons of glycerol through a process called esterification. This reaction is a dehydration synthesis reaction (water is removed) and the resulting bond is called an ester linkage (see figure below).

ck12.org
en.wikipedia.org
  • Triglyceride - Wikipedia

    A triglyceride (from tri- and glyceride; also TG, triacylglycerol, TAG, or triacylglyceride) is an ester derived from glycerol and three fatty acids. Triglycerides are the main constituents of body fat in humans and other vertebrates as well as vegetable fat.

chem.libretexts.org
  • 7.2: Triglycerides - Chemistry LibreTexts

    Fats and oils are called triglycerides (or triacylcylgerols) because they are esters composed of three fatty acid units joined to glycerol, a trihydroxy alcohol: Figure \(\PageIndex{1}\): Chemical reaction for the formation of a triglyceride.

bio.libretexts.org
  • 2.5.2: Lipid Molecules - Biology LibreTexts

    In a fat molecule, the fatty acids ... the oxygen atom. During the ester bond formation, three molecules are released. Since fats consist of three fatty acids and a glycerol, they are also called triacylglycerols or triglycerides....

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