Which statement about wax composition is true?

Which statement about wax composition is true?

• A. Waxes are esters of long-chain fatty acids and long-chain alcohols
• B. Waxes are formed from glycerol and fatty acids
• C. Waxes are nucleic acids used for energy storage
• D. Waxes are proteins with hydrophobic regions

Answer: (B)

Waxes are a lipid class defined by an ester bond between a long-chain fatty acid and a long-chain alcohol. This means they form from one fatty acid linked to a long-chain alcohol, creating a single ester rather than the three ester bonds found in triglycerides formed from glycerol and fatty acids. That distinction explains why waxes are not nucleic acids or proteins. Waxes’ long hydrocarbon chains make them highly hydrophobic and water-repellent, which suits their roles in protective coatings on plant surfaces and in animal coverings. So the accurate description is that waxes are esters of long-chain fatty acids and long-chain alcohols.

Waxes are a lipid class defined by an ester bond between a long-chain fatty acid and a long-chain alcohol. This means they form from one fatty acid linked to a long-chain alcohol, creating a single ester rather than the three ester bonds found in triglycerides formed from glycerol and fatty acids. That distinction explains why waxes are not nucleic acids or proteins. Waxes’ long hydrocarbon chains make them highly hydrophobic and water-repellent, which suits their roles in protective coatings on plant surfaces and in animal coverings. So the accurate description is that waxes are esters of long-chain fatty acids and long-chain alcohols.