LIPIDS

What are lipids?

Lipids are a class of large organic molecules that are immiscible/ insoluble in water but soluble in
non-polar organic solvents. They are hydrophobic due to their molecular structure that varies greatly.
Lipids include waxes, oils, steroids and other substances and fat is a type of lipid known as
triglycerides. The main functions of lipids include energy storage, acting as a structural component
of cell membranes as well as participating as important signaling molecules.

Simple lipids vs. Compound Lipids

Simple Lipids

Simple Lipids are esters of fatty acids and various alcohols and are defined as those that on
hydrolysis yield at most two types of primary product per mole. Simple lipids include fats and waxes
(oils are fats which are liquid at room temperature). Fat is constructed from glycerol and fatty acids.

Glycerol is an alcohol with three carbons, each being bonded to a hydroxyl (OH-) group and is the
most common alcohol found in most lipids.

A Fatty Acid is made up of a methyl group and a hydrocarbon chain containing an even number of
carbon atoms (usually between 14-20 carbon atoms), and ending with a carboxyl group (COO-). The
methyl group and the hydrocarbon chain are collectively called the R-group.

Fatty acid chain (Palmitic acid)

Glycerol

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 Fig.1 showing
the structure
of a
triacylglycerol

Cis double bond causes kinks

Lipids are synthesised when an alcohol reacts with a fatty acid in a dehydrating reaction, removing
the H atom from the alcohol’s hydroxl group as well as the O and H atom from the fatty acid’s
carboxyl group, forming water as a side product. The glycerol molecule and fatty acid molecule
would thus be joined by a ester linkage.

Most simple lipids are triacylglycerols, a.k.a. triglycerides, which consists of 3 fatty acids bonded to 1
glycerol molecule. Diglycerides and Monoglycerides have 2 and 1 fatty acid bonded to each glycerol
molecule repectively.

Saturated vs. Unsaturated fats

Saturated Fats are fats where the fatty acids consists of only C-H bonds (i.e. the absence of C=H)
bonds as the structure is saturated with hydrogen. Most animal fats are saturated. The compact
nature of the saturated fat allows the molecules to stick close together (Fig. 2), and so saturated fats
are usually solid at room temperature.

Unsaturated Fats are fats with fatty acids containing one or more C=H bonds. Fatty acids with one
C=H bond are termed monounsaturated fats more than one C=H bond are termed as
polyunsaturated fats. The kinks caused by the cis double bonds prevent the fat molecules from
packing together closely enough (Fig. 3) to solidify at room temperature.

Fig. 2 Fig. 3

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Functions of simple lipids

A major function of fats in animals is energy storage. Fats are excellent energy storage molecules.
Each fat molecule on average contains over 40 carbon atoms allowing it to store energy in the
numerous C-H bonds and is much more efficient than carbohydrates in storing energy. Fats yield, on
average, 9kcal per gram of energy as compared to 4kcal per gram in carbohydrates. As such, it is
used for energy storage in animals as animals need to carry their energy stores with them, being
mobile.

Fats also acts as insulation (i.e. blubber in whales) and well as protection from mechanical damage
of vital organs such as the kidneys.

Compound Lipids

Compound lipids are simple lipids (glycerol + fatty acids) with the addition of an organic or non-
organic groups. The three main classes are phospholipids and glycolipids.

Phospholipids are similar to a simple triacylglycerol in that two fatty acids attached to the glycerol
molecule. The last hydroxyl group is bonded to a phosphate group (-PO42-).

Fig. 4

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 Phospholipids are amphipathic, with the hydrocarbon tail being hydrophobic and the head being
hydrophilic. This forms the basis for the structure of membranes in cells. Due to the amphipathic
nature of phospholipids, when it is added to water, it arranges itself to form miscelles (Fig. 5),
liposomes (Fig. 6) or bilayers (Fig. 7)

Fig. 5
Fig. 6

Fig. 7

Glycolipids are lipids with a short carbohydrate chain covalently bonded to it. They play an
important part in cell-to-cell recognition in eukaryotic cells. The branching side chains of the
carbohydrate allows for a large variety of shapes and arrangements to be formed, allowing each
type of cell to have a unique marker. The hydrophilic nature of the carbohydrate chain also prevents
the lipid from flipping as the carbohydrate would not rotate to the hydrophobic interior of the
bilayer.

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References

1. Campbell, N. A., & Reece, J. B. (2008). Biology, Eighth Edition. San Francisco: Pearson
Benjamin Cummings.
2. http://www.cem.msu.edu/~reusch/VirtualText/lipids.htm
3. http://biology.clc.uc.edu/Courses/bio104/lipids.htm
4. http://www.wisc-online.com/objects/index_tj.asp?objID=AP13204
5. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lipid
6. http://www.glyconutrient.biz/glycolipids.htm
7. http://scienceaid.co.uk/biology/biochemistry/lipids.html
8. http://www.lipidlibrary.co.uk/Lipids/whatlip/index.htm#simple
9. http://www.tutorvista.com/content/biology/biology-iii/cellular-micromolecules/lipids.php
10. http://www.fz-juelich.de/inb/inb-1/ion_channels
11. http://www.odec.ca/projects/2004/thog4n0/public_html/chemfat.html
12. http://www.uic.edu/classes/bios/bios100/lecturesf04am/lect02.htm

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