Lipids Flashcards
What are lipids?
Heterogeneous organic molecules
Insoluble in water (hydrophobic), soluble in organic solvents
Where do lipids exist?
Exist in cell membranes, as lipid droplets in adipose tissue, in blood lipoproteins
Biological functions of lipids
- Stored form of energy
- Structural element of membranes
- Enzyme cofactors
- Steroid Hormones
- Vitamins A,D,E,K
- Signalling molecules
What are the major lipid classes?
- Fatty acids
- Triacylglycerol
- Phospholipid
- Glycolipids
- Steroid
What are fatty acids?
Fatty acids are carboxylic acids that are structural components of fats, oils, and all other categories of lipids, except steroids.
Discuss the structure of fatty acids
Straight chain of an even number of carbon atoms, with hydrogen atoms along the length of the chain and at one end of the chain and a carboxyl group (―COOH) at the other end.
What is an unsaturated fatty acid?
One or more double bonds in hydrocarbon chain
What is a saturated fatty acid?
Are solid, no double bonds in hydrocarbon chain
What are essential fatty acids?
Fatty acids that our body cannot produce and we must get them from plants
What are the names of the essential fatty acids?
Linoleic acid (LA) - omega-6 family
Alpha linolenic acid (ALA) - omega-3 family
What are good fats?
(cardiovascular)
High in polyunsaturated fatty acids: e.g vegetable oils, like olive oil, sunflower oil, ect
What are bad fats?
(cardiovascular)
High in saturated fatty acids: (e.g stearic beef) (Saturated - huge role in myelination of nerve fibres and hormone production important in maintaining health)
What are really bad fats?
Trans fatty acids, result from hydrogenation of vegetable oils e.g hard margarine (man-made)
What does 18:0 mean?
Contains 18 carbons and no double bonds
What does 18:1 mean?
18 carbons and one double bond
What can humans not digest?
Humans cannot introduce double bonds beyond carbon 9
What is arachidonic acid?
A precursor of eicosanoids can be synthesized from linoleic acid
What are omega-3 fatty acids derived from?
Omega-3 fatty acids are derived from linolenic acid as essential FAs.
E.g., eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acid
What does omega 3-FA do?
Lowers plasma cholesterol prevents atherosclerosis, lowers TAG prevents obesity, reduces inflammation.
What does omega-6 FA do?
Omega-6 FA derived from linoleic areessential but not same benefits
What are triacylglycerols (TAG)?
Esters of FAs and glycerol
Esters are neutral uncharged lipids
Dietary fuel and insulation
Discuss TAG and water
Water insoluble TAG coalesce into lipid droplets in adipose tissue (major lipid component of adipose tissue)
What are phospholipids?
Composed of glycerol bonded to two fatty acids and a phosphate group.
What is the main dietary lipid?
Triacylglycerol main dietary lipid
Where is the main site of lipid digestion?
Small intestine
What is lipid digestion by pancreatic enzymes (lipases) promoted by?
Promoted by emulsification (dispersion) by bile salts and peristalsis (mixing)
What are bile salts?
Bile salts are also biologic detergents that enable the body to excrete cholesterol and potentially toxic compounds (eg, bilirubin, drug metabolites).
What is the function of bile salts?
Solubilize ingested fat and fat-soluble vitamins, facilitating their digestion and absorption.
What effect does bile salts have?
Emulsification of lipids (breaks down fat globules into smaller droplets) - larger surface area for lipase to act on
Forms mixed micelles
What physical mechanism helps with protein digestion?
Peristalsis
What are bile salts derived of?
Cholesterol
What are micelles?
The end product of fat digestion is converted into these.
They are small water soluble droplets.
Fatty acid core and a polar surface
How do we digest triacyglycerols?
Most TAG degraded in small intestine by pancreatic lipase to monocyglycerol + two FA
How Do We Digest Cholesterol Esters?
Cholesterol esters digested to cholesterol and free FA
How do We Digest Phospholipids?
Phospholipids hydrolysed to FA and lysophospholipid.
What does lipid malabsorption cause?
Lipid malabsorption due to defects in bile secretion, pancreatic function or intestinal cell uptake results in steatorrhea.
What type of fatty acid chains do not need micelles for absorption?
Short and medium chain FA
What is steatorrhea?
Steatorrhea is excess fat in faeces. Stools float due to excess lipid, have an oily appearance and are foul smelling.