Lipids Flashcards
What can lipids dissolve in?
Organic solvents like ethanol
What makes up a triglyceride?
One glycerol molecule and three fatty acid chains
What are the bonds called in a triglyceride and phospholipid?
Ester bonds
What is the difference between triglycerides and phospholipids?
phospholipids have a phosphate group that replaces one fatty acid chain
What is so special about phospholipids structure?
It has a hydrophilic head and a hydrophobic end so it can form membranes
What is another name for a condensation reaction?
Esterification
What is meant by saturated?
Fatty acid chains with no double bonds
Name 4 roles of lipids?
Cushioning against knocks.
Buoyancy for aquatic mammals.
Thermal insulation against heat loss.
Waterproofing on surfaces.
Phospholipids form what type of membranes?
Unilayer or bilayer.
What element, as well as carbon, hydrogen and oxygen, is present in a phospholipid?
Phosphorus
What element do lipids have a lower proportion of in their structure than carbohydrates have?
Oxygen
Why is it that lipids are used in a variety of ways by organisms?
They have a wide range of molecular structures, functions and properties.
What are the two most common lipids?
Triglycerides and Phospholipids.
What is the name of a fatty acid with one double bond in its structure?
Monounsaturated
What are phospholipids?
Modified triglycerides.
Which end of a phospholipid is hydrophilic?
phosphate head/charged head.
What are sterols/steroid alcohols?
They are a type of lipid but they are not fats or oils
Give an example of a sterol.
cholesterol
Where is cholesterol made and where can it be found?
Made in the liver and intestine. Found in between phospholipids of the cell membrane.
What are the functions of cholesterol?
Adds stability to the cell membranes.
Maintains fluidity of membranes. Keeps them fluid at low temperatures. Stops them becoming too fluid at high temperatures.
draw a glycerol molecule
Draw a fatty acid
Why are phospholipids called surface active agents or surfactants?
The way that they react with water in a dual nature means they are surfactants.
