Lipid Flashcards
Lipids
Lipids are a large family of organic molecules that are important in cell membranes and as a energy store in many organisms. They include triglycerides,phospholipids and steroids.
Fatty acid
A fatty acid is an organic acid with a long hydrocarbon chain.
Glycerol
Glycerol is propane - 1,2,3 - triol, an important component of triglycerides.
Ester bond
An ester bond is bond formed in a condensation reaction between carboxylate group (-COOH) a fatty acid and one of the hydroxyl groups (-OH) of glycerol.
Saturated fatty acid
A saturated fatty acid is a fatty acid in which each carbon item is joined to the one next to it in the hydrocarbon chain by a single covalent bond.
Unsaturated fatty acid
A unsaturated fatty acid is a fatty acid in which the carbon atoms in the hydrocarbon chain have one or more double covalent bonds in them.
Monounsaturated fatty acid
A monounsaturated fatty acid is a fatty acid with only one double covalent bond between carbon atoms in the hydrocarbon chain.
Polyunsaturated fatty acid
A polyunsaturated fatty acid is a fatty acid with two or more double covalent bonds between carbon atoms in the hydrocarbon chain.
Esterification
Esterification is the formation of ester bonds.
Hydrophilic
Hydrophilic molecules dissolve readily in water.
Hydrophobic
Hydrophobic molecules will not dissolve in water.
Monolayer
A monolayer is a single closely packed layer of atoms or molecules.
Micelle
A micelle is a spherical aggregate of molecules in water with hydrophobic areas in the middle and hydrophilic areas outside.
Bilayer
A bilayer is a double layer of closely packed of atoms or molecules.
Unit membrane
A unit membrane is bilayer structure formed by phospholipids in an aqueous environment, with the hydrophobic tails in the middle and the hydrophilic heads on the outside.
