How many stereoisomers are possible for the following triglyceride? (Include all types of stereoisomerism!)
A) 1
B) 2
C) 4
D) 8

Question

How many stereoisomers are possible for the following triglyceride? (Include all types of stereoisomerism!) 
A) 1 
B) 2 
C) 4 
D) 8

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

There are three stereocenters in this triglyceride molecule. Each stereocenter can have either R or S configuration, resulting in 2^3 = 8 possible stereoisomers. However, there are also possible geometric isomers due to the double bonds present in the molecule. Specifically, there can be either cis or trans configuration at the double bonds. Therefore, the total number of possible stereoisomers is 8 x 2 x 2 = 32. However, not all 32 stereoisomers are possible due to the fact that the acyl chains are not flexible and thus certain stereoisomers are not physically feasible. After analyzing the molecule, we can conclude that there are 4 possible stereoisomers: 1,2-dipalmitoyl-3-oleoylglycerol (RRR, RRS, SSR, SRR).

How Many Stereoisomers Are Possible for the Following Triglyceride? (Include