Fats Are Used for Energy and Insulation

A typical fat molecule, also known as a triglyceride, is the combination of one glycerol unit and three fatty acid molecules. Note that this reaction involves the formation of three ester functional groups. 

Give two reasons animals living in cold climates tend to form a thick layer of fat just prior to the onset of winter. 

Was this youT answer Fat provides a source of energy during the winter, when food is generally scarce, and it provides insulation from cold winter 

The walrus and other polar species are insulated from the cold by a thick layer of fat beneath their skin. 

The fat from an animal or plant is a mixture of different fat molecules having various degrees of unsaturation. Fat molecules containing only one carbon-carbon double bond per fatty acid chain are monounsaturated. Those containing more than one double bond per fatty acid chain wee polyunsaturated. Table 13.1 on page 442 shows the percentage of saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated fats in a number of widely used dietary fats. 

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