Lipid Chemistry And Membranes Flashcards
What are lipids?
A large and heterogeneous group of substances of biological origin which are soluble in nonpolar solvents only. They include esters of fatty acids and glycerol or substances that yield them on hydrolysis.
Why are lipids only partially soluble in water or insoluble?
Due to the lack of polarizing atoms
Functions of lipids
- Fat and oil store energy.
- Phospholipids and sterols make up biological membranes
- Some are enzyme cofactors, hydrophobic anchors for proteins eg, GPI anchores
- Emulsifying agents, eg bile
- Signalling molecules, eg hormones and intracellular messengers
Classes of lipids based on structure
- Simple and Complex
Groups of lipids
Fat and oil Neutral fat (Triacylglycerol) Phospholipids Sphingolipids Glycolipids Waxes Terpenoids (Carotenoids) Steroids (Cholesterol)
Other classes of lipids
- Storage, Structural, Signal Molecules
- FNPSGWTS (For No Person Sees God Without The Son)
What are simple lipids?
Lipids that yield fatty acids and alcohol on hydrolysis
What are complex lipids?
Lipids which may contain phosphate various carbohydrates and nitrogenous components such as sphingosine, ethanolamine, serine, hexosamines
Fat and oil are derivatives of fatty acids, true or false?
True
What are the universally stored forms of energy in living organisms?
Fats and oil
Amphipatic nature of fat and oil
They have both hydrophilic and hydrophobic parts.
Physiologic roles of fat and oil
- Building blocks of phospholipids and glycolipids.
- Modify proteins by covalent attachment and target them to their membrane location
- Fuel molecules are stored as triacylglycerol which are uncharged esters of glycerol
- Serve as hormones and intracellular messengers
How many carbons make up a fatty acid?
4 to 36
What kinds of acids are fatty acids?
Carboxylic acids with hydrocarbon chains
Functional group of fatty acids
Carboxyl group with formula R-COOH, named with ‘oic’
Types of fatty acids
Saturated - Unbranched, single bond
Unsaturated - Double bonds
Most fatty acids have even number of carbon atoms, true or false?
True
What is responsible for the even or odd number of carbon atoms in fatty acids?
They are synthesized from two carbon unit
Which fatty acids are the most abundant in animal tissues?
Saturated fatty acids
Examples of saturated fatty acids
Steric acid
Myristic acid
Palmitic acid
Arachidonic acid
What about the melting point and boiling point of saturated fatty acids?
It increases with increase in chain length
What about solubility of saturated fatty acids?
Solubility decreases with increasing chain length.
Number of chains of saturated fatty acids
Saturated fatty acids are usually between 2 -10 chain lengths and are solids at room temperature
Saturated fatty acids are most abundant in…
…animal tissues
What are the sources of unsaturated fatty acids?
Plants
Which packs better? Saturated or unsaturated fatty acids?
Saturated
What is the result of unsaturated fatty acids not packing well?
Intermolecular forces between molecules are lower so they’re easy to separate by raising the temperature.
What about the melting point of unsaturated fatty acids?
Lower
The configuration of the double bonds of most naturally occurring unsaturated fatty acids is in the…
…‘cis’ configuration.
‘Trans’ fatty acids are produced by…
- fermentation in the rumen of dairy animals and are obtained from dairy products and meat
- hydrogenation of fish or vegetable oils.
Effect of trans fatty acids
- Trans configuration at double bonds causing molecule to straighten
- No kinks in hydrocarbon chain
- Behave like saturated