lipids Flashcards
what is a macromolecule
a complex molecule with a large molecular mass
what 3 elements do triglycerides contain
carbon, hydrogen and oxygen
what is the structure of triglycerides like
contain one molecule of glycerol and have 3 fatty acids attached
what are fatty acid tails like in contact with water
hydrophobic
what is the makeup of fatty acids
contain an oxygen group, a hydroxide group and a R group (variable)
what reaction are triglycerides formed in
condensation reactions
what bond holds the fatty acids with the glycerol
an ester bond
what is this process called where triglycerides are synthesised
esterification
what reactions break triglycerides
hydrolysis
what happens in the hydrolysis of triglycerides
ester bonds are broken
what are the two types of fatty acids
saturated and unsaturated
describe the structure of saturated fatty acids
no double bonds
what is the general formula for saturated fatty acids
CnH2n+1
what is the structure of unsaturated fatty acids like
have a double carbon bond between carbon atoms
what happens to unsaturated fatty acids because of the double bond
they Kink( curl up)
describe the structure of phospholipids
contain 2 fatty acids, one molecule of glycerol and one phosphate group
what is the phosphate group like in phospholipids
hydrophilic
what is triglycerides main function
used as energy storage
why is triglycerides long hydrocarbon tails of fatty acids good
contain lots of chemical energy
why is triglycerides solubility good
don’t cause water to enter by osmosis
why do triglycerides bundle together
form insoluble droplets as hydrophobic tails face inwards which shields them
where are phospholipids found
in the cell membrane of all cells
why are phospholipids heads and tails important
form a double layer with heads facing out so are insoluble
why is the tails important in phospholipids
makes it hard for substances to easily pass through
