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INTRODUCTION TO LIPIDS

LIPIDS
q LIPIDS are a family of substances that are insoluble in
water but soluble in nonpolar solvents and solvents with
low polarity – e.g Diethyl ether.
q There are 3 classification of lipids based on their function
1. They store energy within the fat cells
2. They are part of membranes that separate
compartments of aqueous solutions from each other
NURBIO LECTURE 3. They serve as chemical messengers

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Importance of Lipids
q Storage – Energy is stored in the form of fats which has
much greater importance for living organisms.
qMessengers – Lipids are also serve as chemical
- The burning of fats in human body releases doubled messenger. Primary messenger, such as steroid hormones,
energy around 9Kcal/g. On the other hand, burning of an delivers signals from one part of the body to another part.
equal amount of carbohydrates would just release about 4 Secondary messengers, such as prostaglandins and
Kcal/g. thromboxanes, mediate the hormonal response.

q Membrane components – Lipids provide these

membranes. Their water insolubility derives from the fact
that the polar groups contain are much smaller than their
alkane-like (nonpolar portions)

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CLASSIFICATION BY STRUCTURE
q Animal fats and plant oil are triglycerides
TRIGLYCERIDES are triesters of glycerol and long chain of
carboxylic acids called FATTY ACIDS.

GLYCEROL

q The acid component of triglycerides may be any

number of fatty acids. They have in common such as
the following:

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1. Fatty acids are practically all unbranched carboxylic q TRIGLYCERIDES (TRIACYGLYCEROLS) – all three groups are
acids. esterified.
2. They range in size from about 10 to 20 carbons.
3. They contain an even number of carbon atoms.
4. Apart from the –COOH group, they have no functional
group that some do have double bonds.
5. In most fatty acids that have double bonds, the cis
isomers predominate

q Only even-numbered acids are found in triglycerides

because the body builds these acids entirely from acetate
units and therefore puts the carbons in two at a time.

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Ø It’s the most common lipid material. Although mono and

diglycerides are not infrequent.
Ø In the latter two types, only one or two –OH groups of the
glycerol are esterified by fatty acids.
Ø Triglycerides are complex mixtures. Although some of the
molecules contain three identical fatty acids, in most
cases two or three different acids are present. The
hydrophobic character of triglycerides is caused by the
long hydrocarbon chains.
Ø The ester groups (R-COO-R’), although polar themselves,
are buried in a nonpolar environment, which makes the
triglycerides insoluble in water.

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PROPERTIES OF TRIGLYCERIDES
1. PHYSICAL STATE
§ FATS that come from animals are generally solids at room
temperature, and those from plants and fish are usually
liquids. Liquid fats are often called OILS, even though they
are esters of glycerol just like solid fats and should not be
confused with petroleum, which is mostly alkanes.
§ Solid fats and liquid fats differ on the degree of
unsaturation. https://www.google.com /url?sa=i&url=https% 3A% 2F% 2Fwww.researchgate.net% 2Ffigure% 2FTypical-fatty-acid-com position-of-various-vegetable-oils-anim al-fats-and-fish-

§ Physical properties of the fatty acids are carried over to the

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physical properties of triglycerides. q FAT a m ixture of triglycerides containing a high proportion of long-chain, saturated fatty acids
§ Solid fats contain saturated fatty acids
q OIL is a m ixture of triglycerides containing a high proportion of long-chain, unsaturated fatty
§ Liquid fats contain unsaturated fatty acids acids or short-chain, saturated fatty acids.

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q Some unsaturated fatty (e.g. Linoleic and Linolenic acids) HYDROGENATION

are called Essential Fatty acids.
q Most vegetable oils contain high amount of unsaturated
fatty acids, there are exceptions.
q e.g. coconut oil, has a small amount of unsaturated
acids. It is a liquid but doesn’t mean it contains many
double bonds, but rather because it is rich in LOW-
MOLECULAR-WEIGHT FATTY ACIDS (Lauric acid)

q Oils with more than one double bond per fatty acids are
called Polyunsaturated
q Pure fats and oils are colorless, odorless, and tasteless.

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q Hydrogenation is important in manufacturing to produce SAPONIFICATION

the solid shortening sold in stores.
q Manufacturers must be careful not to hydrogenate all of
the double bonds, because a fat with no double bonds
would be too solid. Partial, but not complete,
hydrogenation results in a product with right consistency.
q e.g. Margarine – made from partial hydrogenation of
vegetable oils. It contains more unsaturation
q Trans fat forms from hydrogenation

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WHAT ARE THE STRUCTURES OF COMPLEX What Role Do Lipids Play in the Structure
LIPIDS? of Membranes?
Ø Complex Lipids form the Membranes
Ø Unsaturated fatty acids are important
Ø Lipid molecules in bilayer must at least contain one
unsaturated fatty acids.
Ø Cell membranes separate cells from the external
environment and provide selective transport for nutrients
and waste products into and out of cells.
Ø Lipid Bilayers form the membranes
Ø It forms from two rows (layers) of complex lipid molecules
are arranged tail to tail.

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§ The hydrophobic tails point toward each other, which

enables them to get as far as possible.
§ Causes the arrangement of the hydrophilic heads
projecting head and outer surfaces of the membrane.
§ Fluid Mosaic Model
- Allows the passage of nonpolar compounds by diffusion,
as these compounds are soluble in the lipid membrane.
- Mosaic refers to topography of the bilayers: protein
molecules dispersed in the lipid.

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