Lipids Flashcards
What acids are the building blocks of lipids?
fatty acids
What are fatty acids formed of?
polar (soluable) carboxylic head and non-polar (insoluble) hydrocarbon chain tail
What number of carbon atoms do most common fatty acids have?
even, between 12-24
Are fatty acid chains typically branched or unbranched?
unbranched
What is the furthest carbon from the carboxyl group called?
the omega carbon
What number is the omega carbon given?
1
What two forms can the hydrocarbon tail of a fatty acid be in?
saturated or unsaturated
What does it mean if a hydrocarbon tail is unsaturated?
double bonds are found between carbon atoms
what does it mean if a hydrocarbon tail is saturated?
there are no double bonds between carbon atoms
What is an unsaturated fatty acid known as if they only have one double bond in the hydrocarbon chain?
monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs)
What is a polyunsaturated fatty acid?
have multiple double bonds in the hydrocarbon chain
How can unsaturated fatty acids be classified?
according to the position of the first double bond from the omega end
What is the stability of fatty acid aggregates dependent on?
the length and degree of saturation
What consistency will an aggregate of saturated fatty acids have?
waxy texture
What texture will a mix of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids have?
oily texture
What are the two conformations of double bonds in unsaturated hydrocarbons?
cis and trans
What is the cis conformation of double bonds?
two hydrogens are on the same plane
What is the trans conformation of double bonds?
two hydrogens are on opposite planes
What conformation are most fatty acid double bonds in?
cis conformation
What do lipids form from?
fatty acids
What does the structure of a lipid determine?
its function
Name the primary storage lipid
triacylglycerol
What is triacylglycerol formed of?
three fatty acid chains joined in a glycerol backbone by ester bonds
Storage lipids are neutral, what does this mean?
they do not carry a charge and are soluble in water