Triglycerides:

Triglyceride is also referred to as tryglycerol. It is an ester formed from glycerol which is bound to three fatty acids. They are found plenty in vegetable oils and animal fats.

Chemical structure:

They are produced by a chemical reaction when glycerol combines with three molecules of fatty acids. Glycerol consists of three hydroxyl groups. However each fatty acid is having carboxyl group. Hydroxyl group of glycerol combines with carboxyl group of fatty acids resulting in the formation of an ester of fatty acid, triglycerides.  The length of fatty acid is variable. Mostly common combination of fatty acid will have 16, 18 or 20 carbon atoms.

Characteristic of Triglyceride:

They are stable in room temperature. Saturation degree and length of fatty acid chain determines their state in room temperature. Triglycerides having unsaturated short chain will be in liquid state at room temperature. However saturated long chain triglycerides are in solid state in room temperature. Saturated triglycerides are found plenty in animal fats, whereas unsaturated triglycerides are plenty in plant or vegetable oils. A natural fat consists of individual triglycerides which are complex in nature. It is because of this they start melting when temperature increases.

Role of triglycerides in health: They serve as energy storage in case of animals. Animals consume these triglycerides during their starvation period. High calorie content of triglycerides supplies more energy. They provide immediate energy in muscles or it is stored as fats for future consumption. Animals reserve fats; which in turn act as insulation for animals to sustain cold temperatures. It causes heart disease to humans when consumed more. High triglycerides may be due to increased intake of fatty diets, drugs such as antipsychotic drugs, birth control pills which obviously increase the body weight of an individual. Increased body weight increases low density lipoproteins concentration of blood which adversely affects the heart leading to massive heart attacks, cardiac infarction.