Lipids Flashcards
What is the difference between fats and oils
Fats are solid at room temp, oils are not
What atoms make up lipids
carbon, hydrogen and oxygen
Name three properties of lipids
insoluble, hydrophobic, non-polar
What is the basic unit of a lipid and what is it made of
a triglyceride made of 3 fatty acids attached to a glycerol molecule by a ester bond
What is the difference between saturated and unsaturated fatty acids
Unsaturated fatty acids contain a C=C bond which means they don’t contain the maximum amount of hydrogens in the hydrocarbon chains, unlike saturated fatty acids
What is an ester bond
an oxygen atom attached to two other atoms one of which is a carbon atom attached to another oxygen by a double bond
What is the difference between a mono and poly unsaturated fatty acid
mono has one double bond, poly has more
Describe the structure of a phospholipid
a phosphate group is attached to the glycerol group in the head. they have two tails unlike normal lipids, and the head is hydrophilic and the tails are hydrophobic
What does cholesterol do
Plugs holes in the cell membrane and is a modified steroid
Name some roles of triglycerides
energy source
thermal insulation
protection
metabolic water
Name some roles of phospholipids
Membranes
Name some roles of waxes
Waterproofing
Name the roles of lipoproteins
Low and high density lipoproteins transport triglycerides and cholesterol in the blood
What can low density lipoproteins cause in arteries
atheroma
What are trans fats and how are they formed
They are formed through a process called hydrogenation which makes the oil more solid. Trans fats are found in margarine, fried foods and cakes.
