Lecture 5 Lipids Flashcards
Lipids
Small hydrophobic or amphiphilic molecules
Extractable by nonpolar solvents (e.g., chloroform:methanol)
Include fats, waxes, sterols, mono/diglycerides, phospholipids, etc.
Originate from ketoacyl and isoprene groups
Fatty Acids
Simplest form of lipids, found primarily in plasma
-Esterified to glycerol to form triacylglycerol (triglyceride)
Triglycerides
solid storage form of lipids, found primarily in adipose tissue (also mono and di forms)
Phospholipids
major class of membrane lipids in all cells
Sterol-containing
(cholesterol) compounds and (glyco)sphingolipids linked with biological membranes
Lipid functions
Energy storage, structural elements of cells and organelles, signal transduction.
Energy Storage
Triglycerides (fats) degrade to glycerol and free fatty acids in response to hormonal signals
Released into plasma for metabolism primarily in muscle and liver
Saponification
ex vivo hydrolysis by a strong base (e.g., NaOH)
One of the products, sodium salt of the fatty acid = soap
Structural elements of cells and organelles
Vesicles, liposomes, or membranes (plasma) in aqueous environments
Signal transduction
hormone precursors.
Fatty acids
Carboxylic acids with long aliphatic chain. Usually with an even number of carbons, usually unbranched. Saturated or unsaturated. Numbered from carboxyl end.
Common fatty acids
Short, medium, long chain. Essential and non-essential.
Short chain
2-4 carbon atoms. n = 4, butyric acid
Medium chain
6-10 carbons atoms, n= 8, caprylic acid
Long chain
between 12 and 26 carbons, n=16 palimitic acid.
Essential and nonessential
Cannot and can be synthed in body. Linoleic and linolenic are two essentials.
Acetyl-CoA
Central to carb and fat metabolism.
Monounsaturated
Single double bond (cis)
Oleic acid
Polyunsaturated
Two or more double bonds
Not conjugated, separated by methylene groups
Linoleic acid
Polyunsaturated FAs are classified into two groups:
ω-3: first double bond appears three carbons from the terminal methyl group
ω-6: first double bond appears six carbons from the terminal methyl group
Physical properties of fatty acids
Physical properties largely determined by the length and degree of unsaturation of the hydrocarbon chain
Chain length
The longer the fatty acid chain length, the poorer the solubility in water.
Carboxylic acid end is polar, imparting moderate solubility of short-chains (
Fewer double bonds in fatty acid
Lower solubility in water.
Melting point decreases with
number of double bonds - Cis-double bonds place a kink in the linear structure, interfering with close packing, therefore requiring a lower temperature for freezing (i.e., lower melting point; e.g., oils)
Saturated lipids
Saturated lipids - the most stable arrangement is very close packing of the side chains
Most fatty acid double bonds
cis
Trans fats
Associated with heart disease. Caused by hydrogenation of unsaturated fatty acids. Raises melting point of oils -solid at RT - margarine.
Oils can go bad
oxidations of double bonds can result in cleavage to aldehydes and carboxylic acids
Rancidity of oils
Fatty acids formed in
Liver and adipose tissues, mammary glands during lactation. Unsaturated fatty acids account for 2/3 of all fatty acids in body. Oleate accounts for 1/2 of total
Palmitate (saturated) accounts for about one quarter of total
Glycerides
Fatty acids are rarely found floating free in solution- can be complex.