What are the by-products of the hydrolysis of fats?

The hydrolysis of fats, often referred to as lipolysis, involves breaking down triglycerides into their component parts. Fats are primarily composed of fatty acids and glycerol. During hydrolysis, enzymes (lipases) catalyze the reaction, resulting in the release of free fatty acids and glycerol molecules.

Glycerol is a three-carbon alcohol, and when triglycerides are hydrolyzed, the fatty acids detach from the glycerol backbone. This process is crucial in biological systems for the utilization of fats for energy or for the synthesis of other compounds.

The other choices contain components that are not produced during the hydrolysis of fats. While amino acids and proteins are related to the breakdown of proteins, they are not a product of fat hydrolysis. Glycerin is another name for glycerol, but sugars are not a by-product of fat hydrolysis. Cholesterol is a type of lipid but is not generated through the hydrolysis of fats in this context. Thus, the by-products of the hydrolysis of fats are accurately identified as fatty acids and glycerol.