Triglycerider

Triglycerider, known as triglycerides in English, are a class of lipids defined as esters of glycerol with three fatty acids. They are the most abundant form of dietary fat and serve as the main storage form of energy in animals and many plants.

Chemically, a triglyceride consists of a glycerol backbone with three ester bonds to fatty acids, whose chain lengths and degrees of unsaturation vary. This composition makes triglycerides nonpolar and hydrophobic, rendering them insoluble in water and highly efficient at storing chemical energy per unit mass.

Biological role: In adipose tissue, triglycerides are stored within lipid droplets that can be mobilized when energy is required. Insulin promotes the synthesis and storage of triglycerides, while lipolytic hormones activate enzymes such as hormone-sensitive lipase to release fatty acids and glycerol into the bloodstream for use by other tissues during fasting or exercise.

Digestion and transport: Dietary triglycerides are emulsified by bile salts and digested by pancreatic lipase into free fatty acids and monoacylglycerols, which are taken up by intestinal cells and reassembled into triglycerides. These are packaged into chylomicrons and transported via the lymphatic system to the bloodstream. Endogenous triglycerides are carried mainly in very-low-density lipoproteins (VLDL).

Clinical relevance: Blood triglyceride levels are routinely measured as part of lipid panels. Elevated triglycerides (hypertriglyceridemia) can reflect metabolic disorders such as obesity, diabetes, or excessive alcohol intake and are associated with pancreatitis risk and, in the context of other lipid abnormalities, cardiovascular disease risk. Management includes diet, weight control, and medications in some cases.

Note: Triglycerider is the plural form used in several languages, including Danish and Norwegian, whereas English uses triglycerides as the plural of triglyceride.