Question

Identify the hydrophobic and hydrophilic region(s) of a triglyceride.

Short answer

Answer: The hydrophilic region of a triglyceride molecule is the glycerol backbone, which contains three hydroxyl (-OH) groups. The hydrophobic regions are the three fatty acid chains, which primarily consist of nonpolar hydrocarbon chains.

Step-by-step solution

Understand the structure of a triglyceride

A triglyceride molecule consists of a glycerol backbone and three fatty acid chains. Glycerol is a three-carbon molecule with three hydroxyl (-OH) groups, and the fatty acid chains consist of a carboxyl group (-COOH) and a long hydrocarbon chain.

Identify the hydrophilic (polar) region of the triglyceride

The hydrophilic region of the triglyceride is the glycerol molecule, which contains three hydroxyl (-OH) groups. The presence of these polar hydroxyl groups makes the glycerol region of the triglyceride capable of hydrogen bonding with water, making it hydrophilic or water-loving.

Identify the hydrophobic (nonpolar) region of the triglyceride

The hydrophobic region of the triglyceride comprises the three fatty acid chains. These chains primarily consist of nonpolar hydrocarbon chains with no polar groups, which makes them water-repelling or hydrophobic. In summary, the triglyceride molecule has one hydrophilic region (the glycerol backbone) and three hydrophobic regions (the fatty acid chains).