What are the building blocks of fat?

The building blocks of fat molecules are glycerol and fatty acids. Fat is simply fatty acids attached to glycerol. Fatty acids are carboxylic acids that are either saturated or unsaturated. Glycerol is a clear liquid that tastes sweet, explains Encyclopedia Britannica.

A fat molecule consists of one molecule of glycerol and three molecules of fatty acids. The glycerol serves as the fat molecule's backbone. Depending on the number of fatty acid chains present, fat molecules are characterized as triglycerides, diglycerides or monoglycerides, exlpains Chemistry Explained. Triglyceride fat molecules have three fatty acid chains, diglycerides have two, and monoglycerides have one.