Practice MCAT Question - Q55 - Answer!
After a meal, fats (triglycerides) can be synthesized by which of the following processes?
A. Anabolizing three fatty acids and glycerol by hydrolysis
B. Catabolizing three fatty acids and glycerol by hydrolysis
C. Anabolizing three fatty acids and glycerol by dehydration
D. Catabolizing three fatty acids and glycerol by dehydration
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The correct answer is (C). Anabolism (“building up” or synthesis) of glycerol and three fatty acids by dehydration will produce a triglyceride (fat). Catabolism (“breaking down” or decomposition) does not build anything. Hydrolysis refers to a specific catabolic process by which larger molecules are broken down to smaller units, while a water molecule is added (-H is added to one small unit, while -OH is added to the other).
