Lipids can provide a source of energy, insulate organisms, and act as waterproofing
Triglycerides are a glycerol molecule and 3 fatty acid chains
Triglycerides - bonds
Ester bonds formed by condensation between each of the 3 OH groups on the glycerol and the OH group of each fatty acid chain. Non polar
Triglycerides - properties
Fatty acid chains are hydrophobic making lipids insoluble in water, the hydrophilic heads face outwards and the hydrophobic tails face inwards, the hydrocarbon chains can either be saturated or unsaturated
phospholipids are a glycerol molecule, a phosphate group and two fatty acid chains
Phospholipids - bonds
Ester bond formed by condensation between two OH groups on the glycerol and the OH group of each fatty acid chain
Phospholipid - properties
The phosphate group is hydrophilic and the fatty acid chains are hydrophobic, this allows phospholipid to form bilayers which make up membranes in and around cells
saturated fatty acids
Do not have any double bonds between their carbon atoms, it has all the hydrogens it can hold or is saturated with hydrogen
Unsaturated fatty acids
They have double bonds between carbon atoms which means they contain fewer hydrogen atoms, the double bond also causes the chain to bend/kink, they can contain one or many carbon double bonds
Fluid mosaic model
is the model used to describe the phospholipid bilayer
phospholipid heads are hydrophilic and tails are hydrophobic
the centre of the bilayer Is hydrophobic so watersoluble substances can’t pass through
