Lipids And Proteins Flashcards
(8 cards)
What are lipids?
Lipids are compounds that occur frequently in nature, found in diverse places like egg yolks and the human nervous system. They are important components of plant, animal, and microbial membranes.
How are lipids defined?
Lipids are defined based on solubility; they are marginally soluble in water but readily soluble in organic solvents like chloroform or acetone.
What are typical examples of lipids?
Fats and oils are typical lipids in terms of their solubility, but this does not define their chemical nature.
How are lipids classified?
Lipids are classified into two main groups: open-chain compounds with polar head groups and long nonpolar tails, and fused-ring compounds, such as steroids.
What is a fatty acid?
A fatty acid has a carboxyl group at the polar end and a hydrocarbon chain at the nonpolar tail. They are amphipathic compounds.
What characterizes the structure of fatty acids?
Fatty acids typically contain an even number of carbon atoms, and the hydrocarbon chain is usually unbranched.
What distinguishes saturated and unsaturated fatty acids?
Saturated fatty acids have only single bonds, while unsaturated fatty acids contain carbon-carbon double bonds.
What is the stereochemistry of unsaturated fatty acids?
In unsaturated fatty acids, the stereochemistry at the double bond is usually cis rather than trans.
