Download - Lipids
LIPIDS
Characteristics of Lipids• Composed of Carbon, Hydrogen, and
Oxygen• Greater than 2:1 ratio of H:O• Includes fats, oils, phospholipids, and
cholesterol• Building blocks are fatty acids and
glycerol.• Energy storage molecules• Phospholipids part of cell membrane
Fatty Acid Structure
• Carboxyl group (COOH) forms the acid.• “R” group is a hydrocarbon chain.
A Representative Fatty Acid
SaturatedFatty Acid
UnsaturatedFatty Acid
Glycerol
Synthesis of a Fat
A Phospholipid
Phospholipids
• Contains a phosphate group• Two fatty acid and one phosphoric acid
molecule condensed with a molecule of glycerol
• Polar –OH group of phosphate are attracted to polar water molecules while rest of molecule is non-polar
Phospholipids
• Major components of cell membranes• Structure of phospholipids cause then to
orientate themselves into bilayers with a hydrophobic centre. This is the essential basis of cell membranes.