Lipids Flashcards
(138 cards)
Lipids?
- biological molecules that are insoluble in aqueous solution and soluble in organic solvents
- fats, essential to the body
Major functions of lipids?
- serve as structural components of biological membranes
- provide energy reserves, predominantly in the form of triacylglycerols
- both lipids and lipid derivatives serve as vitamins and hormones
- lipophilic bile acids aid in lipid solubilization
- protects nerves and internal organs as thermal covering
- essential for growth
Fluid mosaic model of cell membrane? (4)
- phospholipid bilayer with many proteins, some integral to the membrane, others attached more loosely
- many other components such as cholesterol and attachment sites for extracellular environment (glycoproteins) and intracellular cytoskeleton
What are fatty acids?
- long chain hydrocarbons with carboxyl on one end
- carboxyl end is acidic
- the rest is defined by the number of carbons in the hydrocarbon region and the degree of unsaturation
Degree of unsaturation?
-the presence or absence of C=C double bonds in the hydrocarbon region
Unsaturated fatty acid? (5)
- has double bonds
- oleic acid
Saturated fatty acids? (5)
- has only single bonds
- stearic acid
- palmitic acid
- mostly derived from diet
Monounsaturated fatty acids? (5)
have only one double bond
polyunsaturated fatty acids? (5)
have more than one double bond
Terminology? (6)
pic
Effects of double bonds? (7)
- presence of double bonds gives hydrocarbon region a distinct bend
- saturated are linear
- carbons can be counted from carboxyl end (C2 = alpha, C3= beta)
- can be counted from methyl end (methyl C is omega 1)
Where are saturated fatty acids found? (8)
- found in dairy and meat and some plant oils (coconut, palm, palm kernel)
- stack together to make solid form at room temp
Where are unsaturated fats found? (8)
- liquid oils at room temp
- because of bends, they do not stack well and are in liquid form
What determines the properties and functions of lipids?
- depend on fatty acid chain length (number of carbons) and degree of unsaturation (the more the double bonds the more unsaturated)
- vary among fatty acids
What are the most common properties of fatty acids?
- an even number of carbons
- between 14-24 carbons
- most common are 16 and 18 carbon fatty acids
What conformation do unsaturated fatty acids normally have?
- cis
- naturally occurring plants oils remain liquid at ambient temps because of the cis double bonds cause a curved configuration and prevents packing into crystal form
What controls membrane fluidity?
-controlled by fatty acid composition and cholesterol content
What are the classifications of fatty acids? (12)
- short chain
- medium chain
- long chain
- very long chain
- because of various lengths, they are digested and metabolized differently
Short chain fatty acids sources? properties?
- sources: bovine milk, swiss cheese, plants silage
- water soluble nature
- more readily absorbed in the stomach than other fatty acids
- 2 to 3 carbons
Medium chain fatty acids sources? properties?
- sources: butter fat, coconut and palm kernel oils
- preferentially transported via portal vein to the liver because of their smaller size and greater solubility compared to longer chains
- for entry into mitochondria, medium chains are not carnitine dependent
- 4 to 11 carbons
- fairly soluble in water
Long chain fatty acids sources? properties?
- sources: animal fats, vegetable and marine oils
- due to size and increased hydrophobic character, long chains are absorbed and metabolized more slowly than short and medium chains
- they need carnitine shuttle for their transport to mitochondrial matrix
- 12 to 20 carbons
- water insoluble
Very long fatty acids sources? properties?
- sources: plant oil, peanut oil
- exclusively oxidized in peroxisomes
- more than 20 carbons
- water insoluble
Why is cows milk not recommended to infants under 12 months old?
- because it contains mostly short and medium chains fatty acids and not long chain (palmitic, oleic, linoleic)
- long chain fatty acids play a vital role in brain development in the first year
- long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids play a vital role in overall development of immunity in infants
What is the effect of chain length on melting point in saturated fatty acids? (15)
- the longer the chain length, the higher the melting point
- fatty acids with melting points above room temp will be solid at room temp (22 degrees C)