lipids Flashcards
what is the elemental composition of lipids
oxygen, hydrogen, carbon
what is the structure of saturated fatty acids
-each carbon atom is fully saturated with its full quota of hydrogen atoms
-no double bonds occur between the carbon atoms
what is the consistency and melting point of saturated fatty acids
-solid at room temperature (18C)
-high melting point
what are the sources of saturated fatty acids and give examples
-generally found in animal sources
-e.g. butyric acid in butter and stearic acid in meat
what is the structure of monounsaturated fatty acids
-each carbon is not fully saturated with a full quota of hydrogen atoms
-there is one double bond between the carbon atoms
what is the consistency and melting point of monounsaturated fatty acids
-soft or liquid at room temperature (18C)
-low melting point
what are the sources of monounsaturated fatty acids and give examples
-generally found in plant and marine sources
-e.g. oleic acid in olive oil
what is the structure of polyunsaturated fatty acids
-each carbon atom is not fully saturated with a full quota of hydrogen atoms
-there is more than one double bond between the carbon atoms
what is the consistency and melting point of polyunsaturated fatty acids
-soft or liquid at room temperature (18C)
-lowest melting point of all the fatty acids
what are the sources of polyunsaturated fatty acids and give examples
-generally found in plant and marine sources
-e.g. linoleic acid in nuts and linolenic acid in seeds
what are essential fatty acids
essential fatty acids are acids that cannot be manufactured by the body and therefore must be obtained from food
what are the sources of essential fatty acids
-nuts
-seeds
-olive oil
-oily fish
what are the biological functions of essential fatty acids
-aid cell membrane formation, which is essential for growth
-reduce the risk of coronary heart disease by raising high-density lipoprotein which helps remove cholesterol from the blood and by lowering low-density lipoprotein which deposits cholesterol in the blood
describe the structure of an omega-3 fatty acids
omega-3 fatty acids have a double bond between the third and fourth carbon atoms along their hydrogen chain
what are the sources of omega-3 fatty acids
-oily fish
-seeds
-nuts
-fish oils