Lipids - Roles Of Triglycerides Flashcards
What are triglycerides more commonly known as?
2
Fats
Oils
What is the main difference between fats and oils?
Fats are solid at room temp
Oils are liquid at room temp
Why do fats and oils have a different state at room temp?
The different in state is due to the presence of double bonds between carbon atoms in the fatty acid tail
What makes a fatty acid saturated?
There are no double bonds between carbon atoms in the hydrocarbon chains
What makes a fatty acid monounsaturated?
There is 1 double bond between carbon atoms in the hydrocarbon chains
What makes a fatty acid polyunsaturated?
There are many double bonds between carbon atoms in the hydrocarbon chains
Why do the unsaturated hydrocarbon chain bend?
Because of the carbon double bonds
What does the bending of the unsaturated hydrocarbon chains cause to happen?
Or
Why are unsaturated triglycerides liquid at room temp?
The bending pushes the unsaturated triglyceride molecules further apart than the saturated molecules
This weakens the intermolecular forces between the unsaturated triglyceride molecules so they form a liquid at room temp
Are fats saturated or unsaturated?
Saturated
Are oils saturated or unsaturated?
Unsaturated
What can triglycerides replace is respiration?
Glucose
What do triglycerides release a lot of in respiration?
Energy
Why does triglycerides release a lot of energy in respiration?
Due to the large number of carbon hydrogen bonds which are broken down
What reactions is triglycerides found in?
1
Metabolic reactions
What is triglyceride a good source of in metabolic reactions?
Water
Why is triglyceride a good source of water in metabolic reactions?
Because water is released when the components of triglycerides are broken down in respiration
Why are triglycerides excellent molecules for energy stores?
2
They provide the most energy per unit of mass of any storage molecule
They are large and non-polar so are insoluble in water
Triglycerides
Why is providing the most energy per unit of mass of any storage molecule useful?
This is useful for animals as it reduces the mass that must be carried around
Why is triglycerides being insoluble in water useful?
So they don’t affect the osmotic balance of cells in the body
What useful properties do triglycerides have?
Oils repel water so aquatic animals produce oil to waterproof their fur
Fats are used by animals for thermal insulation
Fats used by animals to protect internal organs
Fats less dense than water so they aid in buoyancy for aquatic animals
