Lipids Flashcards
what elements do lipids contain?
carbon, hydrogen and oxygen (same as carbohydrates), but has a lesser proportion of oxygen than in carbohydrates
properties of lipids?
Insoluble in water, hydrophobic
Can be dissolved in organic solvents such as alcohol, propanone and ether
what reaction is needed for triglycerides to form?
condensation
what is a triglyceride made of?
3 fatty acid molecules and 1 glycerol molecule (an alcohol)
properties of triglycerides?
Large molecules but small when compared to macromolecules such as glycogen and starch
Non-polar, hydrophobic
why do triglycerides appear to be macromolecules?
Its non-polar, hydrophobic properties cause triglyceride molecules to clump together into huge globules that make them appear to be macromolecules
what is the bond formed between triglycerides called?
Ester bond.
what do fatty acids have that cause the hydrophobic properties in triglycerides?
long hydrocarbon tails
why are fatty acids described as acids?
their functional group tends to ionise to produce hydrogen ions, which is the property of an acid.
structure of saturated fatty acid/triglyceride?
Have no double bonds between the carbon atoms in their hydrocarbon tails.
structure of unsaturated fatty acid/triglyceride?
have one or more double bonds present in the hydrocarbon tails
structure of phospholipid?
Very similar chemical structure to a triglyceride, except that one of the fatty acids is replaced by a phosphate group.
property of phosphate group?
ionised and therefore water-soluble
what does phospholipid combine?
it combines the hydrophobic properties of the hydrocarbon tails with the hydrophilic (water-loving) properties of the phosphate group.
