What happens when free fatty acids accumulate to high levels?

• A. Resemble detergents and if they build up too high they solubilize cells, membranes, etc.
• B. Are the primary form of dietary lipids
• C. Are always stored as triglycerides in adipose tissue
• D. Are insoluble in water and inert to membranes

Answer: (B)

When free fatty acids accumulate, the body treats them as the main mobile lipid form derived from the diet. After fats are eaten, triglycerides are digested into free fatty acids and monoglycerides, which are absorbed and then reassembled into triglycerides for transport. The accumulation of free fatty acids thus reflects the dominant lipid species that carries dietary fat through the body for use as energy or for storage, and their presence in high amounts highlights their central role in how dietary lipids are handled. The other statements either overstate their stability and membrane inertness or misstate their role in dietary lipids, whereas free fatty acids are the primary lipid form involved in processing the fat you consume.