Classifying triglycerides by fatty acid saturation

Steps:

• Identify saturation: saturated fatty acids lack double bonds; unsaturated have one or more.
• Analyze first triglyceride: composed of X (straight chain, no double bonds), Y (straight, no double bonds), Z (straight, no double bonds), all saturated.
• Analyze second triglyceride: composed of X (kinked chain, double bond) and Y (kinked, double bond), both unsaturated.
• Analyze third triglyceride: includes at least three distinct saturated chains labeled X and Y (implying additional one), more than two different saturated fatty acids.

Why A is correct:

• Matches definitions: first has all three saturated (X, Y, Z); second has two unsaturated (X, Y); third exceeds two saturated types (X, Y, plus implied third).

Why the others are wrong:

• B: Misassigns Z as unsaturated and limits saturated to only X, Y.
• C: Incorrectly labels Z as both saturated and unsaturated; miscounts saturated types.
• D: Falsely limits saturated to only Z and expands unsaturated/mixed saturated incorrectly.

Final answer: A