What is the organic molecule than stores the most energy called, and what is its structure?
1 Answer
Jan 6, 2016
The organic molecules that store the most energy are called fats or triglycerides.
Explanation:
The body uses carbohydrates (glycogen) for medium-term energy storage and lipids (fats or triglycerides) for long-term energy storage.
Carbohydrates store about 16 kJ/g, while fats store about 39 kJ/g.
Gram for gram, triglycerides store more than twice as much energy as glycogen.
Triglycerides are esters formed from glycerol and three fatty acids.
(from thepsychologyoffitness.com)
The three fatty acids are usually different, but most common triglycerides contain 16, 18, or 20 carbon atoms.
