Lipids Flashcards
Why are fats so important?
Maintaining healthy skin and hair, insulating body organs against shock, maintaining body temperature, promoting healthy cell function and energy storage
What are lipids?
Lipid is the general term for fats (solids), oils (liquids) and their related compounds (waxes and sterols)
What are some of the properties of lipids?
Relatively small molecules, hydrophobic or amphiphilic
What does hydrophobic mean?
Water fearing = non-soluble in water
What does amphiphilic mean?
both loving = one end is soluble in water, one end is non-soluble in water
What does hydrophilic mean?
Water loving = soluble in water
What is a adipose cell?
It is a fat cell
Cells in adipose tissues contain…
…high levels of fat
Adipose cells are the body’s means of…
…storing metabolic energy over extended periods of time
Lipid molecules carry much more…
…energy per molecule than any other organic compound
What two molecules are fats made of?
Glycerol and fatty acids
What is one fatty acid connected by an ester bond to a glycerol called?
Monoglycerid
What is two fatty acid connected by an two ester bonds to a glycerol called?
Diglyceride
What is three fatty acid connected by an three ester bond to a glycerol called?
Triglyceride
What is the most common type of fat?
Triglyceride
What is a saturated fatty acid?
Fatty acid where no double-bonds exist between carbon atoms and every carbon is ‘saturated’ with maximum number of hydrogen atoms
What is an unsaturated fatty acid?
An unsaturated fatty acid contains at least one double-bond between carbon atoms and has less hydrogens than the maximum amount determined by an saturated fatty acid.
The difference between a unsaturated and saturated fatty acid?
Unsaturated fatty acid contains a kink in the molecule as a result of the double bond in the chain
Are fats and oils the same thing?
Yes but fats are the solid form and oils are the liquid form
Fats are comprised of…
…straight fatty acids which means that fat molecules can be more tightly packed together – forming a solid
Oils are comprised of…
…Bent fatty acids means that fat molecules can’t be tightly packed together – forming a liquid
Are fats or oils healthier?
Therefore, unsaturated fats are healthier as they are liquids at room temperature, and therefore won’t clog up your blood stream!
What are waxes?
Waxes are another type of lipid
What are the two molecules that comprise a wax?
Alcohol and fatty acid
What are sterols?
Sterols are another type of lipid comprised of multiple carbon rings
What are phospholipid molecules?
Another type of lipids that is composed of glycerol and two fatty acids. (normally a unsaturated and saturated fatty acid)
Phospholipids are amphiphilic because…
…the glycerol head is hydrophilic and the fatty acid tails are hydrophobic
Phospholipids form together to make the…
…plasma membrane
