lipids Flashcards
elements found in all lipids
lots of CH, very little O
unifying feature for all lipids
little to no affinity for water (hydrophobic)
function of triglycerides
energy storage, has twice more energy than carbohydrates, lrgan cushioning, temp regulation, insulation, many bonds=more energy
function of phospholipids
main component in cell membrane, hydrophilic head+hydrophobic tail (inside)= semi-permeable membrane
function of steroids
chemical messengers, 4 rings of carbon
function of Cholesterol
major component of animal cell membrane, precursor for import steroid hormones (testerone, estrogen)
function of waxes
protects plants from water loss, animals have ear wax, bees wax, ect which are all helpful
building blocks for fats
fatty acids
how do the building blocks come together (what reactions)
dehydration synthesis at the hydroxyl on each fatty acid and glycerol
what is needed for unsaturated fat
at least 1 unsaturated fatty acid
differences between unsat and sat fats
unsaturated- bend in chain, 1 or more double bonded carbons in hydrocarbon chain- resulting in fewer hydrogens bonded, liquid at room temp, saturated- max hydrogens bonded to hydrocarbon chain, carbons are SINGLE BONDED, solid at room temp
why are some fats liquid and others not at room temp
the bend in chain (double bonds) for unsaturated fatty acids prevents them from packing tightly together and forming a solid like saturated fats, since they are straight which allow them to be packed closely together.
how does the structure of fats help w/ its function
leads to efficient energy storage, Large # of bonds in small space= potential (stored) energy
are lipids true polymers? why
no, because it doesn’t have repeating subunits
why are lipids hydrophobic
bc they are mainly hydrocarbons: non-polar covalent bonds w/ hydrocarbon chain
