Bahir Dar University

Department of Industrial Chemistry

Biochemistry (Ichem.3052)
Chapter Five : Lipids
 Definition of Lipids

-Lipid comes from the Greek word lipos, for fat.

-Lipids are water insoluble biomolecules that are highly soluble in
organic solvents such as chloroform.
- Lipids have a biological roles as fuel molecules, highly concentrated
energy stores, and components of membranes.
Lipids are classified as
1. Simple lipids: Esters of fatty acids with various alcohols.

a. Fats: Esters of fatty acids with glycerol. Oils are fats in the
liquid state.
b. Waxes: Esters of fatty acids with higher molecular weight
monohydric alcohols.
2. Complex lipids: Esters of fatty acids containing other groups in
addition to an alcohol and a fatty acid.
a. Phospholipids: Lipids containing, a phosphoric acid residue, in
addition to fatty acids and an alcohol, . They frequently have
nitrogen containing bases and other substituent's, e.g, in
glycerophospholipids the alcohol is glycerol and in
sphingophospholipids the alcohol is sphingosine.
b. Glycolipids (glycosphingolipids): Lipids containing a fatty acid,
sphingosine, and carbohydrate.
c. Other complex lipids: Lipids such as sulfolipids and
aminolipids. Lipoproteins
 Fatty Acids

Natural fatty acids are usually straight-chain derivatives containing an

even number of carbon atoms. The chain may be saturated or
unsaturated.
- The systematic nomenclature names the fatty acid after the
hydrocarbon with the same number of carbon atoms, with -oic being
substituted for the final -e .Thus, saturated acids end in -anoic, and
unsaturated acids end in -enoic,
- Hydrolysis of a fat or oil produces a mixture of fatty acids:
 Saturated Fatty Acids

-Contain no double bonds

The first member of saturated fatty acid is acetic acid (CH3-COOH)
_For other series ,the -CH2- is progressively added between the
terminal CH3- and -COOH groups. Common saturated carboxylic
acids
 Unsaturated Fatty Acids

- Contain double bonds

Can be further subdivided as follows:

(1) Monounsaturated (monoethenoid, monoenoic) acids,
containing one double bond.
(2) Polyunsaturated (polyethenoid, polyenoic)
acids, containing two or more double bonds.
unsaturated |carboxylic acids:

Note: Long-chain omega-3 fatty acids incorporated in the diet are

believed to have beneficial effects in terms of reducing the risk of
fatal heart attack and easing certain autoimmune diseases.
 Triacylglycerols (Triglycerides)

-Triacylglycerols are esters of the trihydric alcohol glycerol and fatty

acids.
- Triacylglycerols are the oils of plants and the fats of animal origin.
Like peanut oil, soybean oil, corn oil, sunflower oil, butter, etc.
-Triacylglycerols can be simple triacylglycerols in which all three
acyl groups are the same.
And the triacylglycerol is a mixed triacylglycerol in which the acyl
groups are different.

Triacylglycerol.
 -Triacylglycerols made up of largely saturated fatty acids have high
melting points and are solids at room temperature (fats).
Triacylglycerols with a high proportion of unsaturated and
polyunsaturated fatty acids have lower melting points (oils) .

- Solid commercial cooking fats are manufactured by partial

hydrogenation of vegetable oils.
The result is the familiar “partially hydrogenated fat” present in so
many prepared foods.

Complete hydrogenation of the oil is avoided because a completely

saturated triacylglycerol is very hard and brittle
When triacylglycerols are converted to carbon dioxide and water by
biochemical reactions (i.e., when triacylglycerols are metabolized),
they yield more than twice as many kilocalories per gram as do
carbohydrates or proteins
 Steroids
Steroids are lipids because they are hydrophobic and insoluble in
water.
All steroids have four linked carbon rings, and many of them, like
cholesterol, have a short tail. Many steroids also have the –OH
functional group, and these steroids are classified as alcohols called
sterols.
Steroids are often used in anesthetic medicines.
Cholesterol is the most common steroid and is the precursor to
vitamin D, testosterone, estrogen, progesterone, aldosterone,
cortisol, and bile salts.
 Cholesterol is a component of the phospholipid bilayer and
plays a role in the structure and function of membranes.
Steroids derived from cholesterol
 Biological Membranes
 Separating membrane that acts as a selectively permeable barrier
within living things.
It consists of a Phospholipid bilayer with embedded
, integral and peripheral proteins used in communication and
transportation of chemicals and ions.

The phospholipid bilayer is a thin polar membrane made of two

layers of lipid molecules.
Fluid mosaic model for membrane structure
 Membrane Transports
 It refers to the collection of mechanisms that regulate the passage
of solutes such as ions and small molecules through biological
membranes.
A few no polar compounds can dissolve in the lipid bilayer and cross
the membrane.
For polar or charged compounds or ions, a membrane protein is
essential for transmembrane movement.
Transport often occurs against a gradient of concentration, electrical
charge, or both, in which case solutes must be “pumped” in a process
that requires energy
Summary of transport .
Thank you For Your Attention