lipids pt 2 Flashcards
what is the basic structure of a fatty acid
O = C-R
OH -
what bonds do triglycerides contain
ester bonds between the fatty acid and glycerol molecule
what reaction happens when triglycerides are broken down
-hydrolysis reaction
what can be saturated/unsaturated
the fatty acid tails
what is the difference in between the saturated/ unsaturated fatty acid tails
their hydrocarbon tails
what don’t saturated fatty acids have
any double bonds between the carbon atoms
-fatty acid is “saturated” with hydrogen
what do unsaturated fatty acids have
-at least one double bond between carbon atoms
-causes the chain to kink
on a phospholipid, what is hydrophilic and what is hydrophobic
-the phosphate group is hydrophilic (the head)
-the fatty acid !tails! are hydrophobic
what are triglycerides mainly used as
energy storage molecules
what do the long hydrocarbon tails of the fatty acids contain (triglyceride)
-lots of chemical energy
-this energy is released when they’re broken down
-because of the tails, lipids contain about twice as much energy per gram as carbs
whats a characteristic of a triglyceride useful for energy storage and what does this mean
-they are insoluble
-dont cause water to enter cells by osmosis which would cause them to swell/ burst (cytolysis)
-triglycerides bundle together as insoluble droplets in cells because the fatty acid tails are hydrophobic (face inwards shielded by hydrophilic head)
what does cholesterol do at higher temperatures
binds to the hydrophobic tails of the phospholipids
-causing them to pack more closely
-makes membrane less fluid and more rigid
what does cholesterol do at lower temps
-prevents the phospholipids from packing too close together so increases membrane fluidity
