Chapter 5 PART 2 Flashcards
Lipids
Hydrophobic molecules
biologically important lipids
Fats (triacylglycerols)
Phospholipids
Steroids
Lipids are hydrophobic because
they consist mostly of hydrocarbons, which form nonpolar covalent bonds
They separate from water because
water molecules form hydrogen bonds with each other & exclude fats
Lipids are the one class of large biological molecules
that do not form polymers
Fats (or triacylglycerols)
are constructed from 2 types of smaller molecules: glycerol and fatty acids linked via an ester linkage
Glycerol
is a 3-carbon alcohol with a hydroxyl group attached to each carbon
fatty acid
consists of a carboxyl group attached to a long carbon skeleton
Saturated Fatty Acids
have the maximum number of hydrogen atoms possible & no double bonds
Unsaturated Fatty Acids
have one or more double bonds
saturated fats
are solid at room temperature (most animal fats are saturated)
unsaturated fats or oils
and are liquid at room temperature (plant fats and fish fats are usually unsaturated)
trans fats
partially hydrogenated oils
Trans fats raise LDL “bad” cholesterol
& lower HDL “good” cholesterol
phospholipid
2 fatty acids and a phosphate group are attached to glycerol
Amphipathic
the 2 fatty acids are the hydrophobic tail, but the phosphate group and its attachments (choline & glycerol) form a hydrophilic head
phospholipid bilayer
with the hydrophobic tails pointing toward the interior
Steroids
are lipids characterized by a carbon skeleton consisting of four fused rings
Cholesterol
an important steroid, is a component in animal cell membranes
Hormones
are steriods that travel as signaling molecules
Proteins account for _______ of dry mass of most cells
50+%
Protein functions include:
structural support, storage, transport, cellular communications, movement, and defense against foreign substances
Enzymes
are a type of protein that acts as a catalyst to speed up chemical reactions
Polypeptides
are unbranched polymers built from the 20 amino acids