Which lipid is soluble in water?

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Consider the question: which lipid is soluble in water? 
Option 1: sterols. Sterols like cholesterol are largely nonpolar with small hydrophilic groups, so they are not water-soluble and tend to be insoluble in aqueous environments. This makes this option incorrect for water solubility. 
Option 2: fatty acids. Fatty acids have a hydrophilic carboxyl head, but their long hydrophobic hydrocarbon tails dominate, especially in longer chains, leading to overall poor water solubility in typical conditions; only very short-chain fatty acids are modestly soluble. So, as a general statement about lipids, fatty acids are not reliably water-soluble, making this choice not the best answer. 
Option 3: triglycerides. Triglycerides consist of glycerol esterified to three long-chain fatty acids; they are highly nonpolar and hydrophobic, displaying negligible water solubility. This clearly does not fit “soluble in water.” 
Option 4: phospholipids. Phospholipids have a distinct architecture with a hydrophilic (polar) head group containing a phosphate, and two hydrophobic (nonpolar) fatty acid tails. This amphipathic character means they interact with water at the head region and can form structures like micelles and lipid bilayers in aqueous environments, rather than freely dissolving as a single molecule. While they don’t dissolve like salts, their behavior in water is solubility in terms of forming dispersed assemblies, which sets them apart from the other lipids listed. 
In summary, among the given options, phospholipids are the lipid class that interacts with water via their polar head and forms water-associated assemblies, whereas the others are largely water-insoluble due to their predominantly nonpolar nature.

BIO 132-Introduction to Nutrition-931 Exam 2

Which lipid is soluble in water?

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