Lipids are composed of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen, like carbohydrates, but may contain phosphorus and nitrogen as well. Fats are a type of lipid composed of glycerol, a molecule containing three carbons each with a hydroxyl group (OH) attached, and fatty acids, molecules containing a carboxyl group (COOH) and a chain of four to twenty-four carbon atoms with hydrogens attached. A molecule of fat is produced when three fatty acids are bound to one glycerol molecule through a condensation reaction; likewise, fats can be broken down through hydrolysis to their building-block components.
