Lipids Flashcards
What are the components of lipids?
Carbon
Hydrogen
Oxygen
Made from different components and are therefore macromolecules and not polymers
What are the solubility properties of lipids?
Lipids are non polar molecules
Therefore they are Insoluble in water
But
Soluble in alcohols
Give some examples of lipids
Triglycerides
Phospholipids
Cholesterol
Glycolipids
What are some properties of cholesterol?
Steroid alcohol (sterol)
They are lipids
Small
Used to make testosterone, oestrogen and vitamin D
Hydrophobic
Regulates fluidity in a cell/cell membrane
Made in the liver
What are triglycerides made from?
Made from glycerol and 3x fatty acids
What is the structure of glycerol?
CH(OH)CH(OH)CH(OH)
What is the structure of a fatty acid?
R-COOH
What are saturated and unsaturated fatty acids?
Saturated fatty acids: C-C single bonds
Unsaturated fatty acids: C=C double bonds
( C=C double bonds make a molecule more fluid and therefore they have lower melting points.)
How are triglycerides formed?
Condensation reaction between glycerol and 3x fatty acids
Esterification as an eater bond is produced
What are the functions of triglycerides?
Energy source ( as the Ester bond can be hydrolysed to the original components to be used in respiration.
Energy store as they are insoluble
Insulation (blubber) and electrical insulation (myelination)
Mechanical protection
Buoyancy
Waterproofing
What are the components of phospholipids?
Made from glycerol
2x fatty acids
And a phosphate group
What properties of a phospholipids make them good membranes
The hydrophobic tails and hydrophilic head enable a bilayer to form which acts as the membranes of cells (fluid mosaic model)
Phospholipids are selectively permeable
What does the selective permeability of the phospholipid bilayer mean?
Only allows small non polar molecules through such as CO2 and O2
Lipids can also pass through tad they are lipid soluble substances.
