Question

The degree of unsaturation of lipids can be measured as:

• A. Iodine number
• B. Saponification number
• C. Reichert Meissel number
• D. Polenske number

Hint:

Iodine number: measures unsaturation.
Higher iodine number = more unsaturated.
Saponification number: measures molecular weight.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
Lipids have different properties based on their fatty acid composition.
Unsaturation is an important property of fatty acids.

Step 2: Key Formula or Approach:
No specific formula.
Need to know the definitions of lipid constants.

Step 3: Detailed Explanation:
Iodine number measures the degree of unsaturation.
It is the grams of iodine absorbed by 100g of fat.
Saponification number measures fatty acid chain length.
Reichert Meissel number measures volatile fatty acids.
Polenske number measures insoluble volatile fatty acids.
Thus, iodine number measures unsaturation.

Step 4: Final Answer:
The degree of unsaturation of lipids is measured by iodine number.
Hence, the correct option is (A).