Triglycerides are what make up lipids, one of the three most essential materials used in the human body. Triglycerides store energy in the form of fat, and they also have a hand in producing the body's cholesterol. However, just what triglycerides are made from and exactly how they're made by the body is a fairly in-depth process.
Composition
Triglycerides are what fat is made of. Chemically, triglycerides are made up of three molecules of fatty acid that are combined with a single molecule of the alcohol glycerol. The prefix "tri-" refers to the fact that there are three fatty acids attached to a glycerol molecule, making the compound a glyceride.
Energy
Fat is stored energy. Fat is made of triglycerides, and triglycerides are held together by chemical bonds. When those chemical bonds are dissolved, energy is released that the body can use. This is why when fat is burned it creates energy, and why when people have too many triglycerides, the triglycerides are stored away for later use.
Cholesterol
People who have a high level of triglycerides in their body likely produce a large amount of "bad" cholesterol. This waxy substance found among the body's fats can clog arteries and lead to a variety of heart problems for those who don't regulate their triglyceride levels.
Lipids
Lipids are one of the three building blocks of the human body, the others being carbohydrates and proteins. Lipids cover all of the body's fats and all of the waxes that it produces, from stomach fat and cholesterol to ear wax. Lipids are, by and large, made up of triglycerides.
Production
Triglycerides are made naturally in the body. When certain types of foods are consumed, the body breaks that food down and uses the energy in it to create triglycerides from fatty acids and glycerol. As described earlier, when the body needs energy, it reverses this process, breaking down triglycerides and using the energy that was stored inside of them.
Tags: body fats, chemical bonds, fatty acids, human body, made triglycerides, triglycerides made