3.5 Lipids Flashcards
What are the two most common types of lipid/
Fats and oils
Which elements do lipids contain?
Carbon, hydrogen, oxygen
What state are fats and oils typically at at room temp?
Fats = solid
Oils = liquid
Why are they non-polar
Their electrons are more evenly distributed
Why are they insoluble in water?
Because they have no charged areas (non-polar) so do not interact with the polar molecule water
What is the name for the type of molecule that lipids are?
Macromolecules
contain no repeating units (not monomers or polymers)
What are the 3 kinds of lipid?
Triglycerides
Phospholipids
Sterols
What are triglycerides made of?
Macromolecules made of 1 glycerol molecule and 3 fatty acids
What bonds are involved in triglycerides and what kind of reaction is it?
Forms strong ester bonds between each fatty acid and glycerol
Process known as esterification
CONDENSATION REACTION as water is removed during formation of each ester bond
What happens when triglycerides are broken down and what type of reaction is it?
3 water molecules need to be supplied to reverse the reaction
HYDROLYSIS REACTION
Example of a saturated fat
Butter
Example of an unsaturated fat
Oil
Where do saturated/unsaturated fats typically come from?
Saturated = animal fat
Unsaturated = plants and seeds etc
Functions of trigylcerides
Long term energy storage
Thermal insulation to prevent heat loss e.g. penguins
Protection of vital organs
Buoyancy for aquatic animals e.g. whales
Features of saturated fats
no double bonds
some evidence to suggest they can lead to coronary heart disease (solid at room temp)
Features of unsaturated fats
contain double bonds
cannot pack close together due to double bonds (liquid at room temperature)
1 double bond…
monounsaturated
2 or more double bonds…
polyunsaturated