Lipids

• What atoms do triglycerides contain?

  • Hydrogen
  • Carbon
  • Oxygen
• Are triglycerides polymers?

  • Not polymers but are made of different components and are examples of macro molecules
• What are triglycerides made up of?

  • Glycerol
  • 3 fatty acid chains
• What is glycerol made up of?

  • Made up of 3 carbon molecules
  • Has a hydroxl group attached to it
  • Hydrogen atoms occupy the remaining positions
• What are fatty acids made up of?

  • An acid group at one end (COOH)
  • 2-20 carbon chains long
  • Can be either saturated or unsaturated
  • Most fatty acids can be made, the ones that are hot are called essential fatty acids
• Whats the difference between saturated and unsaturated fats?

  • Unsaturated has a bend
  • This is due to their double carbon bonds which cannot pack together closely making them liquid at room temp
• Why are triglycerides used as energy sources?

  • Good as the hydrocarbon tails of the fatty acids have a lot of chemical energy that is released when broken down- so lipds contain double the energy carbohydrates do
• Are triglycerides insoluble?

  • Yes- theyre insoluble due to them being hydrophobic so they dont interfere with the water potential in cells that would cause water to enter cells by osmosis
• What is cholesterol made up of?

  • Small molecule made up of 4 carbon based rings
  • Non-polar tail which is attracted to tails of phospholipids
  • Hydroxyl group makes the head polar and hydrophobic
• What steroid hormones and vitamins is cholesterol used for?

  • Testosterone
  • Oestrogen
  • Vitamin D