Lecture 1 Flashcards
What are lipids? (in a broad sense)
Lipids cover a diverse group of chemical compounds. They cover fatty acids and esters and potential esters of fatty acids. They are essential in a healthy diet.
What is the basic structure of fats?
Fats have a 3 carbon backbone known as glycerol and a fatty acid chain, connected by ester bonds.
how can fatty acid chains be classified?
Fatty acid chains can be classified based on their chains, and the bonds connnecting them in the chain
whats the difference between saturated fatty acid and unsatured fatty acids?
- saturated fatty acid= only single bonds, making them very easy to be packed, so they are normally solid
- unsaturated fatty acids= 1 or more double bonds, these bonds create kinks, making them not pack together well, making them liquid at room temperature
- can be classififed based on the number of double bonds
- can be classififed based on the location of double bonds
how are trans fats created?
trans fat is the result of partial hydrogeniation which removes most double bonds but not all.
what are the 3 Main types of Lipids:
- triglycerides/triaglycerol
- phospholipids
- sterols
what are 3 important notes when it comes to fats and human health?
⭐ healthy diets call for mono-and polyunsatured fats> saturated fats
⭐ trans fats are not good for our health and should be as restricted as possible
⭐ the most important thing is to focus on the type of fat we consume, not so much eliminating it from our diet.
is there one definition for lipids??
There is no single, universally agreed-upon definition due to the complexity and heterogenity of lipids.
what are the problems with definitions of lipids based on solubility?
Definitions based on solubility may exclude certain lipids (e.g., very short-chain fatty acids miscible in water and insoluble in organic solvent).
what are the problems with definitions of lipids based on orgin?
Definitions based on orginin may exlude: Synthetic lipids, like sucrose polyesters (e.g., olestra), or trans fatty acids which are not derived from living organims
what is the problem with the FDA definition of lipids?
The problem with the FDA one is that food products that have sucrose polyesters which are acaloric would need special methodology, as the FDA definition is based on the extraction of lipids done by AOAC methods
- By definition lipids (not including synthetic) are:
- large and diverse group of naturally occuring compounds
- long chain fatty acids, their derivatives, structurally and functionally related compounds
- highly soluble in organic solvents
- slightly soluble/nonsoluble in water
- found in plants, animals, and microorganims
- and found in the human body
what is the role/function of lipids in a Nutritional/Human body standpoint?
- cellular structure
- cellular energy reserve: lipids are stored as triaglycerols in adipose tissue which provide a long term energy reserve. Fat cells are very efficient in storing energy and are not bulky and heavy like glycogen is for storage.
- metabolic formation of regulatory compounds (like horomone production)
- regulation and signalling ( keep body temperature)
- gene expression regulation
- insulation and protection (viseral fat protects organs
- aids in the digestion of fat soluble vitamins
what is the role/function of lipids from a Technological aspect?
- sensory properties of food (texture, flavor, mouthfeel etc)
- regulate various changes and reactions during industrial processes\
- like oxidation or emulsififcation
what is the significance of the function of lipids?
The importance of lipids lies in their dual role:
- Health: Lipids contribute to physiological functions and nutrient absorption but require balanced consumption due to potential risks from trans fats and excessive saturated fats.
- Food technology: Lipids influence sensory properties and processing characteristics of foods.
what are the rules to qualify as a taste
- ther must be a stimuli responsible
- there must be a mechanism that changes that chemical stimuli into electrical signals
- those electrical signals must be transmitted to the brain via neurotransmitters
- the effects that it generates must be downstream of the mouth
- and the stimuli must be indepdent
are fats a taste
yes
