LIPIDS: Study Guide Flashcards
L1: What are the definitions for amphipathic and adipocyte
amphipathic: (lipids) have both hydrophilic and hydrophobic parts
adipocyte: a cell specialized for the storage of fat, found in connective tissue
L1: What are the definitions for steroid nucleus and polymorphism
steroid nucleus: non-liner structure built on a tetracyclic platform
polymorphism: multiple stable structures/states. Facilitate membrane stability and lipid : protein interactions
L1: What are the definitions for carboxyl terminus and omega carbon
carboxyl terminus: the end of a peptide or protein’s primary structure
omega carbon: the last carbon in the chain, farthest from the carboxyl group
L1: What are the major elements required for life present in fatty acids
Carbon, Hydrogen, Oxygen (not NPS)
L1: What are the four classes of lipids? (which have FAs/ involved in membranes)
Triacylglycerides (FA), Phospholipids (FA, membranes), Glycolipids (FA, membranes), Steroids (membranes)
L1: Why are lipids not considered to be “true polymers”?
generally large biomolecule, not a lot of monomers, monomers are not interlinked
L1: Why are lipids water-insoluble, yet amphipathic?
-they are primarily nonpolar (water-fearing) carbon-carbon or carbon-hydrogen bonds
-they are soluble in nonpolar organic solvents
-they have a hyrophillic polar end and a hydrophobic nonpolar
L1: What do saturated, unsaturated, omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids look like?
Saturated - composed of carbon-carbon single bonds (stearic acid)
Unsaturated - one or more carbon- carbon double or triple bonds
Omega-3 / Omega-6 - refer to the location of the first carbon-carbon double bond, if you start counting from the ω end.
L1: Are trans fats saturated and unsaturated? What do they look like?
Trans fat: unsaturated fat, unnatural, has to be synthesized synthetically. Hydrogens are split across the double bond (one up and one down)
Unsaturated: one or more carbon-carbon double/triple bonds (usually cis)
L1: Describe the naming process for fatty acids (X:X)
The first X (:X) is the total carbons in the fatty acid
The second X (X:) is the total carbon-carbon double bonds
L1: Which type of saturated FA has a higher melting point: a shorter FA or a longer FA?
-a longer fatty acid chain would have a higher melting point
-melting point decreases when bonds are added, more carbons= higher melting points
L1: Which type of unsaturated FA has a higher melting point: monounsaturated or polyunsaturated?
Monounsaturated
L1: Compare and contrast phosphoglycerides with sphingolipids and with glycoglycerolipids.
phosphoglycerides(phospholipid): found in the plasma membrane
- have 2 fatty acids
-platform: glycerol
sphingolipid (phospholipid): found in the nervous system
-have 1 fatty acid
-platform: sphingosine
glycoglycerolipid (glycolipid): found in plant cell membrane
-lipid with carb monomers covalently attached
L1: Compare and contrast glycosphingolipids with glycoglycerolipids and with sphingolipids.
Glycosphingolipids = animal cells, for eukaryotic membranes, a glycolipid, only 1 FA (like sphingolipids)
Glycoglycerolipds = plant cells, for eukaryotic membranes, a glycolipid
Sphingolipid = NS mainly, 1 FA, platform - sphingosine, ex. sphingomyelin, phospholipid
L1: What is the hydrophobic effect? How does it impact membrane formation?
-the phenomenon by which nonpolar molecules aggregate to avoid contact with polar molecules, mainly water (entropy-driven association)
-this effect drives membrane formation (the membrane is stabilized with non-covalent interactions)
-nonpolar tails and polar heads
L1: Explain why membranes are asymmetric, noncovalent assemblies.
asymmetric as outer surface hydrophilic but internal space hydrophobic and certain lipids found mostly on one outer surface
noncovalent as stabilized by noncovalent interactions
L1: Explain why membranes have polarity. Can asymmetry play a role?
-asymmetric as outer surface hydrophilic but internal space hydrophobic and certain lipids found mostly on one outer surface
-noncovalent assembly as stabilized by noncovalent interactions
-membranes are polar because negatively charged heads are on the exterior and uncharged tails on the interior
L1: what do peripheral and integral membrane proteins look like?
Peripheral proteins are the ones outside the bilayer/membrane - on one side of the membrane of the other
integral proteins are embedded in the bilayer/membrane - span entire membrane
L1: Do all cellular organelles have the same membrane composition?
No, membrane-bound organelles are only found in eukaryotic cells
-membrane composition differs depending on the organelle’s function
L1: Why does cholesterol, FA chain length and degree of unsaturation impact fluidity
(eukaryotes) more cholesterol = more membrane rigidity = less fluid
(prokaryotes) shorter chain and cis unsaturation = less membrane rigidity = more fluid (adjusting Carbon-Carbon double bonds)
L2: What is the difference between lateral and transverse diffusion
-lateral diffusion: move along one side of the membrane
-transverse: flipping sides on the membrane
L2: Define what a nuclear hormone receptor is
Found in nucleus, can be bound to ligand lipids, and bind to DNA and alter gene expression
L2: what is the difference between kinase and phosphatase
kinase: an enzyme that attaches a phosphate group to a protein
phosphatase: an enzyme that removes a phosphate group from a protein