Biological Molecules: Lipids Flashcards
Name the group represented by COOH:
Carboxyl group
What type of R group has a C=C double bond?
Unsaturated
What type of R group has a C-C single bond?
Saturated
Describe how you would test for the presence of a lipid in a liquid sample of food: (2 marks)
- Add ethanol
- Then add water and shake
- A positive result will be a white/milky emulsion
Describe how a triglyceride molecule is formed: (3 marks)
- Formed from one glycerol and three fatty acids
- Condensation reaction occurs, removing three water molecules
- Ester bonds form
What is a fatty acid made up of?
Hydrocarbon chain attached to a carboxyl group.
What is the general structure of a fatty acid?
RCOOH
What is a triglyceride molecule made up of?
3 fatty acids
1 glycerol molecule
What are the two types of lipids?
Triglycerides
Phospholipid
What is an ester bond?
The bond between a glycerol and fatty acid
Why are triglycerides not polymers?
Because they are formed of 3 fatty acids and one glycerol molecule, not repeating units of a single monomer.
Name the type of reaction used to break down phospholipids to release phosphate.
Hydrolysis
Adding fatty acids into a solution causes the pH of that solution to decrease. Suggest why:
- Fatty acids are acids.
- A higher concentration of acid in a solution causes the pH to decrease (become more acidic).
What is a monounsaturated fatty acid?
An unsaturated fatty acid that only has one double bond between its carbon atoms.
What is a polyunsaturated fatty acid?
An unsaturated fatty acid that has more than one double bond between its carbon atoms.
What is the difference between a monounsaturated fatty acid and a polyunsaturated fatty acid?
Monounsaturated = Only one double bond between carbon atoms.
Polyunsaturated = More than one double bond between carbon atoms.
Fats, like butter, are made up of ____________ fatty acids.
Saturated
Oils, like vegetable oil, are made up of ___________ fatty acids.
Unsaturated
Describe the structure of saturated fatty acids:
Straight, parallel hydrocarbon chains
Describe the structure of unsaturated fatty acids:
Bends in hydrocarbon chains.
Why do triglycerides with saturated fatty acids, like butter, form a solid block at room temperature?
- They have straight, parallel hydrocarbon chains
- Meaning they don’t take up a lot of space and can be packed tightly together.
Why can’t triglycerides with unsaturated fatty acids, like vegetable oil, form a solid block at room temperature?
- They have bends in their hydrocarbon chains
- Meaning they take up a lot of space and can’t be packed tightly together
Saturated fats are _______ at room temperature.
Solid
Unsaturated fats are _______ at room temperature.
Liquid