If I understand correctly, it's a matter of the number of permutations of
three different fatty acids, A, B, and C:

AAA
AAB
AAC
ABA
ABB
ABC
ACA
ACB
ACC
BAA
BAB
BAC
BBA
BBB
BBC
BCA
BCB
BCC
CAA
CAB
CAC
CBA
CBB
CBC
CCA
CCB
CCC

But several of those are duplicates (e.g. AAB is the same thing as BAA).
Take out the duplicates, and you have 18 left.

Jim Gardiner



>From: "theyzookeeper5" <theyzookeeper5@...>
>Reply-To: lipids@...
>To: lipids@...
>Subject: [lipids] looking for help
>Date: Mon, 09 Dec 2002 18:55:36 -0000
>
> Hi I hope some one can help me. How do you calculate how many
>different triglycerides can be made from a glycerol and three fatty
>acids. How many triglycerides of quantitatively different composition
>can be made from glycerol and three fatty acids. Thanks for any help
>you can offer.
>
>
> Angela
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>Lipid Links page: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/lipids/links
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>Questions ? Please contact Jo at mailto:spbcjsb@...
>
>
>
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