Lipids Flashcards
What are lipids?
Lipids are group of hydrophobic molecules which are extracted in organic solvents.
Lipids have many different structures and functions
What are the types of nonpolar lipids?
Not water soluble
- Triacylglycerol(TAG or TG)
- Cholesteryl ester (CE)
What are the types of Amphipathic lipids ?
Poorly water soluble
- Fatty acids (FA have a negative charge)
- Cholesterol (polar hydroxyl group)
- Polar lipids of membranes
- Bile salts (negative charge)
Dietary lipids can be…
Beneficial or harmful for the human health
How can dietary fats be beneficial or harmful?
Dietary lipids provide essential fatty acids of the omega-3 and the omega-6 family
Dietary lipids rich in saturated fatty acids or trans-fatty acids can lead to atherosclerosis
How much ATP is from fatty acid degradation?
The degradation of fatty acids (B-oxidation) generates more ATP than degradation of carbohydrates or proteins. Fatty acids can be stored TAGs
Under what circumstances are stored TAGs degraded?
The stored TAGs in fat cells are only degraded under hormonal control to provide fatty acids for energy metabolism needed by the whole body
Describe the structure of fatty acids
Fatty acids contain a long hydrophobic hydrocarbon chain and a carboxyl group which is negatively charged at physiological pH
Describe the structure of TAGs
TAGs are a major storage form of fatty acids for energy metabolism. Fat droplets consist mainly of TAGs
What forms do natural fatty acids come in?
Natural fatty acids are saturated(no double bonds) or unsaturated with cis double bonds
What types are fatty acids are most common?
Long chain fatty acids
What are long chain fatty acids?
Contain 16-20
Which fatty acids are essential for humans?
Two fatty acids with 18C are dietary essential for humans:
Linoleic acid and a-linolenic acid
What are medium chain fatty acids?
MCFAs contain mainly 4-12 carbons and are dietary found in TAGs of milk
What are very long chain fatty acids?
VLCFAs are longer than 22 carbons and are found e.g. in membranes it brain and nervous tissues
What are the membrane polar lipids ?
Phospholipids and glycolipids are essential components of membranes
The steroid cholesterol is found only in the plasma membrane
How many layers of the membrane, are there? What compromises each layer?
Membranes are formed by two layers of polar lipids
- The polar head groups interact with the water phases
- The esterified fatty acids of the polar lipid bilayer form a lipophilic separation in membranes
What are the main groups of polar lipids found in membranes?
Phospholipids -contain phosphate
Glycolipids- contains sugars
What are glycerophospholipids?
Most phospholipids contain a glycerol backbone and are grouped as glycerophospholipids
What are sphingolipids?
Most glycolipids contain a sphingosine backbone and are grouped as sphingolipids
What is the backbone of glycero-phospholipids?
Phosphatidic acid
What are the major components of the membranes?
Phosphatidylethanolamine. (PE)
Phosphatidylcholine (PC)
Both phospholipids are uncharged