Lipids by Ziele Flashcards
what are the three roles of lipids
energy storage; structure; signaling
what percent of biological membranes are made up with structural lipids
50%
why are lipids a good energy source
they can be packed very densely thus allowing a lot of energy to be stored within them
describe the difference between human and plant energy consumption
plants cannot store energy as fat/ lipids and rely on carbohydrates which are not as energy dense and require water; therefore animals are able to move since they have larger stores of energy
what part of the plant is rich in fat and why
seed because mobile
how do fatty acids act as neurotransmitters
they are secreted by the nervous system and bind to cannabinoid receptors to prevent activation of inhibitor neurons
what is the basic lipid molecule and its two forms?
fatty acids: saturated (straight line, no double bonds) unsaturated (kinky, double bonds)
fatty acids begin with a carboxylic acid follow by carbon chains
what conformation do unsaturated fatty acid double bonds lie in
cis conformation
describe the IUPAC naming of fatty acids
in front of the name, the number of carbons: number of double bonds (delta^position numbers of double bonds) cis- xyz
ex. 20:5 (delta ^ 5, 8, 11, 14, 17)
describe the omega system of naming fatty acids
starting at the omega carbon (farthest from the alpha) count in until you hit your first double bond and the naming would be omega - #
ex. omega-6 if first double bond is at the sixth carbon with C1 being the omega carbon
describe the phenomenon with melting point and saturated v unsaturated fatty acids
saturated fatty acids have a higher melting point than unsaturated fatty acids because of the
hydrophobic effect (fatty acids won’t come together as straight carbon chains)
van der Waals interactions (for saturated: strengthen interactions when close together and repel water/ melting)
what is the trend for melting point and saturated fatty acids
as you increase the number of carbons, melting point increases
what is the trend for melting point and unsaturated fatty acids
mp decreases as the number of double bonds increases
but increases with increasing C and not changing double bond amounts
describe the solubility of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids
solubility rules some for both types; insoluble in water but soluble in organic solvent (ex. benzene)
what are triacylglycerols (TAG)
aka triglycerides
3 fatty acids in ester linkage to glycerol
non polar, hydrophobic, neutral
function: fat storage for energy and heat production as well as thermal insulation
what are glycerophopholipids
structural lipid
2 fatty acids (U or S) with any alcohol head group, glycerol, and ester linkages
what are sphingolipids
structural lipid
sphingosine (amino alcohol) + amide linked fatty acid + polar head group (glycosidic or phosphodiester bond)
what are some common signaling molecules
cholesterol, prostaglandins (mediate swelling), cholesterol derived hormones (ex. cortisol)
how can we attack esters?
hydrolysis to form carboxylic acid and alcohol
what are the two major components of all membranes
lipids and proteins
what are some important properties of proteins? what allows these properties?
flexible, transport materials in and out, semi permeable self sealing
non covalent interactions
what are important characteristics of biological membranes
define external boundaries, control molecular traffic, divide cells/ organelles, organize reaction sequences, communication, transporters, receptors, adhesion molecules, and energy transduction
what is the thickness of membrane
50-80 angstrom
what do fatty acids/ lysolipids form in term of membranes
micelle with cone shaped subunits
what do glyserophospholipids and sphingolipids form in term of membranes
bilayer with cylindrical subunits and a vesicle in the inside
what can you use to open micelle
SOS/ detergent molecules 12C with sulfur head
what are the protein components of membranes?
- integral membrane proteins
- peripheral membrane proteins
descrive integral membrane proteins
monotopic or polytopic (thought one or both leaflets of bilayer)
removable only by hydrophobic agent
describe peripheral membrane proteins
electrostatic/ hydrogen bonding, released by detergents or by interfering with charge
interact with hydrostatic interaction
stay in contact with another protein or heads on lipids, not attached
describe amphitropic proteins
interact reversibly with membrane; bound to membrane makes it inactive while activated when off
what are the two techniques to study protein topology
in silico (analysis of primary amino acid sequence)
in vitro (determined experimentally)
what type of amino acids would be inside versus outside the cell or membrane
inside the cell would be hydrophobic AA
outside the cell would be hydrophilic (O/ N linked sugars)
inside the membrane is mostly non polar/ uncharged AA
describe a type 1 (glycophorin) integral membrane protein
alpha helix structure with the amino terminus on the outside of the cell and the carboxyl terminus on the inside, goes through cell once
describe a type III integral membrane protein (bacteriorhodopsin)
multiple alpha helices in the membrane, amino terminus outside and carboxyl terminus on the inside
acts as a proton pump in archea that live in high salt, low O2 environments