Esters of primarily saturated fatty acids bounded to an alcohol, glycerol are called?

• A. Fats
• B. Oils
• C. Waxes
• D. Two of the above

Answer: (A)

Esters formed when glycerol bonds to fatty acids are glycerides, and when those fatty acids are mainly saturated, the product is solid at room temperature, called fats. The saturated nature of the fatty acids makes the triglyceride pack tightly, giving a firm, waxy solid consistency typical of fats. Oils, in contrast, are triglycerides with more unsaturated fatty acids and are liquid at room temperature. Waxes are esters of fatty acids with long-chain alcohols other than glycerol, so they aren’t the same type of glycerol-based ester. Therefore, the correct term for esters of primarily saturated fatty acids bound to glycerol is fats.