2.1.2: Lipids Flashcards
What is a macromolecule?
A large biological molecule, such as lipids, proteins, or nucleic acids.
Macromolecules are essential to biological functions but are not necessarily polymers.
Are lipids considered polymers?
No, lipids are not polymers as they are not made up of repeating monomer units.
Unlike carbohydrates and proteins, lipids do not form long chains of identical units.
What type of molecules are lipids?
Non-polar molecules that are insoluble in water.
Lipids dissolve in organic solvents like ethanol.
What does hydrophobic mean in relation to lipids?
Lipids are described as hydrophobic because they do not mix well with water.
This property is due to their non-polar nature.
What are the two main components of lipids?
Fatty acids and glycerol.
All lipids are composed of these two molecules.
What are triglycerides?
A type of lipid that includes fats and oils.
Triglycerides are formed from one glycerol and three fatty acids.
What are phospholipids?
A type of lipid that is a major component of cell membranes.
Phospholipids consist of two fatty acids and a phosphate group attached to glycerol.
What is the structure of fatty acids?
Long chains of carbon and hydrogen atoms with a carboxyl group at one end (COOH).
The hydrocarbon tail can vary in length.
What distinguishes saturated fatty acids from unsaturated fatty acids?
Saturated fatty acids have no double bonds between carbon atoms, while unsaturated fatty acids have at least one double bond.
Unsaturated fatty acids can be further classified as monounsaturated (one double bond) or polyunsaturated (multiple double bonds).
Fill in the blank: Saturated fatty acids have _______ between carbon atoms.
no double bonds.
Fill in the blank: Unsaturated fatty acids have at least _______ between carbon atoms.
one double bond.
True or False: All lipids are soluble in water.
False.
