Scribd
Upload
16 views22 pages

5 Lipids

This document provides an overview of lipids, including their definitions, types (saturated and unsaturated fatty acids, triacylglycerols, and steroids), and their biological significance. It discusses the properties of fatty acids, their classification, and the role of lipids in biological membranes. Key points include the hydrophobic nature of lipids, the structure of triacylglycerols, and the importance of phospholipids in cell membranes.

Uploaded by

Abraham Asefa
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
16 views22 pages

5 Lipids

This document provides an overview of lipids, including their definitions, types (saturated and unsaturated fatty acids, triacylglycerols, and steroids), and their biological significance. It discusses the properties of fatty acids, their classification, and the role of lipids in biological membranes. Key points include the hydrophobic nature of lipids, the structure of triacylglycerols, and the importance of phospholipids in cell membranes.

Uploaded by

Abraham Asefa
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 22

Biochemistry (InCh411)

Unit Five: Lipids


Industrial Chemistry Department (Organic Stream)
November. 2024
Outlines
Definition of lipids
Fatty acids (saturated and unsaturated)
Triacylglycerols
Steroids and other lipids
Biological membranes
Definition of lipids
Lipids are the polymer of fatty acids.
Among the most biologically significant properties of lipids
are their hydrophobic properties.
These properties are mainly due to a particular component
of lipids, the aliphatic chain of fatty acids or simply fats.

O
C OH
Fatty acids
 can be saturated or unsaturated
The Naming of Fatty Acids
The notation 18:0 denotes a C-18 fatty acid with no
double bonds, where as 18:2 signifies that there are two
double bonds.
A 20-carbon fatty acid with
two double bond between C-9
and C-10 and another between
C-12 and C-13 is designated
20:2( 9,12).
There is also a common pattern in the location of double
bonds;9, 12 and 15.
The double bonds of polyunsaturated fatty acids are almost
never conjugated
–CH=CH-CH=CH-
but are separated by a methylene group
-CH=CH-CH2-CH=CH-
• In nearly all naturally occurring unsaturated fatty acids, the
double bonds are in the cis configuration
Diets those have high in trans fatty acids correlate with:
increased blood levels of LDL (bad cholesterol) and
decreased HDL (good cholesterol)
Saturated fats
All C bonded to H
No C=C double bonds
long, straight chain
most animal fats
solid at room temp.
• contributes to cardiovascular
disease (atherosclerosis)
= plaque deposits
eg. Butter
(Atherosclerosis is the buildup of fats, cholesterol
and other substances in and on the artery walls.
This buildup is called plaque. The plaque can
cause arteries to narrow, blocking blood flow. The
plaque can also burst, leading to a blood clot.)
Unsaturated fats
C=C double bonds in the fatty acids
plant & fish fats
vegetable oils
liquid at room temperature
• the kinks made by double bonded C
prevent the molecules from packing
tightly together
Physical Properties of the Fatty Acids

The physical properties of the fatty acids are largely


determined by the length and degree of unsaturation of
the hydrocarbon chain.
The nonpolar hydrocarbon chain accounts for the poor
solubility of fatty acids in water.
The longer the fatty acid chain and the fewer the double
bonds, the lower is the solubility in water.
The carboxylic acid group is polar (and ionized at neutral
pH) and accounts for the slight solubility of short-chain
fatty acids in water.
Melting points
Saturated fatty acids from 12:0 to 24:0 have a waxy
consistency, whereas unsaturated fatty acids of these
lengths are oily liquids.

This difference in melting points is due to different


degrees of packing of the fatty acid molecules.

In the fully saturated compounds, free rotation around


each carbon–carbon bond gives the hydrocarbon chain
great flexibility.
These molecules can pack together tightly in nearly crystalline
arrays, with atoms all along their lengths in van der Waals contact
with the atoms of neighboring molecules.

In unsaturated fatty acids, a cis double bond forces a kink (a


sharp twist or curve in fatty acid structure) in the hydrocarbon
chain.

Fatty acids with one or several such kinks cannot pack together
as tightly as fully saturated fatty acids, and their interactions with
each other are therefore weaker.
Classification of Lipids

Storage lipids and Structural or Membrane lipids.


Storage Lipids
Fats and oils used almost universally as stored forms of
energy in living organisms are derivatives of fatty acids.
Two types of fatty acid–containing compounds
Triacylglycerols and Waxes
Function:
energy storage
very rich
2x carbohydrates
insulates body

think whale blubber!


3. Triacylglycerols

The simplest lipids constructed from fatty acids are the


triacylglycerols, also referred to as triglycerides
Triacylglycerols are composed of three fatty acids each in
ester linkage with a single glycerol.
Those containing the same kind of fatty acid in all three
positions are called simple triacylglycerols.
Most naturally occurring triacylglycerols are mixed; they
contain two or more different fatty acids.
Simple TG
Mixed TG
Phospholipids
Structure:
glycerol + 2 fatty acids + PO4
PO4 negatively charged
Hydrophobic or hydrophilic?
fatty acid tails = hydrophobic
PO4 = hydrophilic head

bilayer
Why is this important?
Phospholipids create a barrier in water
define outside versus inside
cell membranes
5.4 Steroids and other lipids

o Steroids are oxidized derivatives of sterols; they have the sterol


nucleus but lack the alkyl chain attached to ring D of cholesterol,
and they are more polar than cholesterol.
• Steroid hormones move through the bloodstream (on protein
carriers) from their site of production to target tissues, where
they enter cells, bind to highly specific receptor proteins in the
nucleus, and trigger changes in gene expression and
metabolism.
• The major groups of steroid hormones are the male and female
sex hormones and the hormones produced by the adrenal
cortex, cortisol and aldosterone.
Cholesterol= helps keep cell membranes
fluid and flexible
Important cell component
animal cell membranes- Structural

precursor of all other steroids


including vertebrate sex hormones
• high levels in blood may contribute to cardiovascular
disease
From Cholesterol  Sex Hormones
What a big difference a few atoms can make!

Cholesterol
5. Biological membranes

The central architectural feature of biological membranes


is a double layer of lipids, which acts as a barrier to the
passage of polar molecules and ions.
Membrane lipids are amphipathic: one end of the
molecule is hydrophobic, the other hydrophilic.
Their hydrophobic interactions with each other and their
hydrophilic interactions with water direct their packing
into sheets called membrane bilayers.
There are five general types of membrane lipids:
Glycerophospholipids: in which the hydrophobic regions are

composed of two fatty acids joined to glycerol

Galactolipids and Sulfolipids: which also contain two fatty

acids esterified to glycerol, but lack the characteristic

phosphate of phospholipids;

Archaebacterial tetraether lipids: in which two very long

alkyl chains are ether-linked to glycerol at both ends

Sphingolipids: in which a single fatty acid is joined to a fatty

amine, sphingosine; and sterols, compounds characterized

by a rigid system of four fused hydrocarbon rings.

You might also like

pFad - Phonifier reborn

Pfad - The Proxy pFad of © 2024 Garber Painting. All rights reserved.

Note: This service is not intended for secure transactions such as banking, social media, email, or purchasing. Use at your own risk. We assume no liability whatsoever for broken pages.


Alternative Proxies:

Alternative Proxy

pFad Proxy

pFad v3 Proxy

pFad v4 Proxy