Lipids Flashcards
What are lipids known as?
They are known as fats (solids) and oils (liquids)
What are the made up from?
Made from carbon, hydrogen and oxygen.
What are they made up of?
They are made up of 3 fatty acids and 1 glycerol.
What bond joins the fatty acids and glycerol them?
An ester bond.
What’s a triglyceride?
A triglyceride is the most common lipids, they are insoluble in water but soluble in organic solvents (alcohol). Animal fats are usually solid whereas plants usually have oils which are liquid. They don’t make up a polymer.
What are the functions of triglycerides?
They are a energy source, providing 2x the amount of enters as carbs.
Provide waterproofing e.g. Waxy cuticle.
Insulation.
Protection e.g. Kidneys.
Make the cell membrane, allowing fluidity and things to move in and out of the cell.
Provides a source of metabolic water when hydrolysed.
What type of bonding occurs between triglycerides?
Covalent bonding.
What’s an unsaturated lipid?
One the contains a carbon=carbon double bond, liquid (oil) at RTP.
What does monounsaturated mean?
One carbon=carbon double bond
What does polyunsaturated mean?
More than one carbon=carbon double bond.
What is a saturated lipid?
Has no carbon=carbon double bonds, solid (fats) at RTP and has strong intermolecular forces.
What’s a phospholipid made of?
2 fatty acids, 1 glycerol and 1 phosphate group.
Are phospholipids polar?
Yes so they can interact with other polar molecules.
A description of phospholipids?
They are the main component of membranes, one fatty acid is replaced with a phosphate group, they have a hydrophilic head and a hydrophobic tail. They make up the lipid belayer found in blood plasma and inside cytoplasm.
