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Title: Briefly describe the structure of these molecules and why more energy can be extracted from the... Post by: croxy7205 on Sep 19, 2010 Your body stores two types of molecules as energy reserves: glycogen and
triglycerides. Of these two types of molecules, much more energy can be extracted from triglycerides. Why? Briefly describe the structure of these molecules and why more energy can be extracted from the oxidation of the fat. Title: Briefly describe the structure of these molecules and why more energy can be extracted from the... Post by: sarah! on Sep 19, 2010 The energy stored in the bonds of any fat based molecule (triglycerides), or lipid, is greater than that of a carbohydrate molecule. Simple carbs are easily broken down for quick bursts of energy, while complex carbs take longer to break down. Fats on the other hand, are all more difficult to digest because of the size of their molecules and the complexity of their structure. Fats are also stored more rapidly; they are the body's emergancy power source.
Title: Briefly describe the structure of these molecules and why more energy can be extracted from the... Post by: star on Sep 19, 2010 Triglycerides are formed by combining glycerol with three molecules of fatty acid. (See attachment). Most naturally occurring fatty acids have a chain of four to 28 carbons. Fatty acids serve as energy for the muscles, heart, and other organs, as building blocks for cell membranes, and as energy storage for the body. Those fatty acids not used up as energy are converted into triglycerides. When your body needs energy, these fatty acid molecules are broken down (oxidation) bit by bit starting at their end (the tail part --CH3). Since there are so many carbon-carbon bonds in a fatty acids (sometimes >20), in comparison to those found in sugars (carbs) (typically <5), they produce way more energy per molecule. Biochemically breaking these single bonds releases a relatively large amount of energy.
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