Unit 5: Lipids; Fats, Oils, Phospholipids, And Sterols Flashcards
Define Lipids
Organic compounds composed of primarily carbon, hydrogen and small amounts of oxygen.
Insoluble in water but soluble in organic solvents
Triglycerides include:
Fats that are usually solid at room temperature
Oils that are usually liquid at room temperature
Make up 95% of dietary lipids
Make up 99% of stored fat in the body
5% of dietary lipids are made up of:
Phospholipids, sterols, fat-soluble vitamins, waxes and other minor complex lipid compounds
Define Fatty Acid
An organic compound composed of a carbon chain with hydrogens attached and an acid group (COOH) at one end and a methyl group (CH3) at the other end. The building blocks of lipids
How many carbons does a short-chain fatty acid have?
Less than 6 carbons
How many carbons does a medium-chain fatty acid have?
6-10 carbons
How many carbons does a long-chain fatty acid have?
12-4 carbons
How many double bonds does a Saturated Fatty acid (SFA) have?
No double bonds
Most possible number of hydrogens
Ex. Stearic Acid
How many double bonds does a Monounsaturated Fatty Acid (MUFA) have?
1 double bond
Lacks 2 hydrogens
Ex. Leicester Acid
Monounsaturated oil or fat is composed of triglycerides in which most of the fatty acids are monounsaturated
How many double bonds does a Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid (PUFA) have?
2 or more double bonds
Lacks 4 or more hydrogens
Ex. Linoleic acid
Polyunsaturated fat or oil is composed of triglycerides in which most of the fatty acids are polyunsaturated
Define Point of Unsaturation
The double bond of a fatty acid, where hydrogen atoms can be easily added to the structure
Define Omega-3 Fatty Acid
Polyunsaturated fatty acid with its first double bond 2 carbons from the methyl end
Define Omega-6 Fatty Acid
Fatty Acid with its first double bond 6 carbons from the methyl end
Monounsaturated fatty acids tend to belong to what group. Because their first (an only) double bond is 9 carbons from the methyl end.
Omega-9 group
Chemists identify polyunsaturated fatty acids by:
The position of the double bond nearest the methyl group
Degree of unsaturation determines what?
Hardness of a fat or oil
The shorter and more unsaturated the more liquid
Palmitic Acid
Number of Carbon Atoms: 16
Number of Double Bonds: 0
State at room temperature: Solid
Fact: Most abundant saturated fatty acid in fats. Animal fats contain large quantities
Stearic Acid
Number of Carbon Atoms: 18
Number of Double Bonds: 0
State at room temperature: Solid
Fact: Animal fats contain large amounts
Oleic Acid
Number of Carbon Atoms: 18
Number of Double Bonds: 1
State at room temperature: Liquid
Fact: Large amounts found in oils from plants and seeds
Linoleic Acid
Number of Carbon Atoms: 18
Number of Double Bonds: 2
State at room temperature: Liquid
Fact: Large amounts found in plant and seed oils. Most abundant polyunsaturated fatty acid in oils
Linolenic Acid
Number of Carbon Atoms: 18
Number of Double Bonds: 3
State at room temperature: Liquid
Arachidonic Acid
Number of Carbon Atoms: 20
Number of Double Bonds: 4
State at room temperature: Liquid
Dietary lipids that contain saturated short and medium chain fatty acids are:
Butterfat and coconut oil
Exceptions to the degree of saturation rule are:
Coconut and palm (tropical) oils but highly saturated (92% and 51% respectively)