Which of the following is NOT a lipid?
A) steroids
B) triglycerides
C) oils
D) waxes
E) monosaccharides
Answer: E) monosaccharides
Although monosaccharides are not lipids, they are carbohydrates that are part of this category. Lipids can be classified depending on their solubility profile; lipids are lipophilic biomolecules that are, at the same time, hydrophobic. The types of lipids include fats and oils or triglycerides; phospholipids; steroids; and waxes. Fats are animals’ major form of stored energy and phospholipids used in the construction of animal cells’ membranes. Although all steroids have the potential to be dangerous to one’s health, they are necessary for, for example, hormone signaling and as part of the cell membrane. As a result, the waxes are applied in the protection plan for various lives. However, monosaccharides are ‘simple sugars’ that are recognized as being the basic form of carbohydrates. Some of them are; glucose, fructose and galactose. Monosaccharides are soluble in water and their chief roles are energy and as building blocks of other carbohydrates, unlike lipids. Therefore, such a difference in the chemical characteristics and roles puts monosaccharides in a different category from lipids.
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