How are glycerol and fatty acids connected in fats?

• A. peptide bonds
• B. ester linkages
• C. glycosidic bonds
• D. phosphodiester bonds

Answer: (B)

Fats are built when glycerol, which has three hydroxyl groups, forms ester linkages with fatty acids. Each fatty acid’s carboxyl group reacts with a glycerol hydroxyl in a dehydration synthesis to create an ester bond, resulting in a triglyceride with three fatty acids attached. This bond type is distinct from peptide bonds (between amino acids), glycosidic bonds (between sugars), and phosphodiester bonds (between nucleotides).