AS Level Biology

Biological Molecules- Lecture 5

By Muhammad Ishaq Khan
Lipids
• Lipids are very variable group of chemicals which are
insoluble in water.
• Common Lipids:
• Fats-solid at room temperature
• Oils-liquid at room temperature
• Both fats and oils are chemically very similar
• True lipids are esters formed by fatty acids combining with an
alcohol.
Lipids
• Fatty Acids:
• Contain acidic or Carboxyl group (-COOH) with long hydrocarbon
chains (tails), which consist of a chain of carbon atoms joined with
hydrogen chain is often 15 to 17 carbon atoms long.
• Unsaturated fatty acids:
• The tales of some fatty acids have double bonds between adjacent
carbon atoms, like -C=C-
• These are called unsaturated fatty acids. They do not contain
maximum possible number of hydrogen atoms. Double bonds
make fatty acids or their unsaturated lipids melt more easily, e.g,
most oils are unsaturated
Lipids
• Monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA): If there is only one
double -C=C- bond.
• Polyunsaturated fatty acids(PUFA): If there are more than
one double -C=C- bonds.
• Saturated fatty acids, such are usually animal lipids with no
double -C=C- bond and occurs as fats. Plant lipids are often
unsaturated and occur as oils, like olive oil (PUFA).
Lipids
Alcohols
• These are a series of organic molecules which contain
hydroxyl (-OH) group attached to a carbon atom. Glycerol is
an alcohol with three -OH groups.
• Esters: The reaction between an acid and an alcohol produces
an ester and the bond between both is called ester bond or
ester linkage.
Alcohols
• The -COOH group on the acid reacts with -OH group on the
alcohol to form the star bond. -COO-. It occurs due to
condensation reaction because water is formed as a product.
Hydrolypic can cause reversible reaction to form an acid and
alcohol for ester by addition of water.
• Triglycerides: Most common lipids are fats and oils which are
chemically called triglycerides. Glyceride is an ester formed by a
fatty acid combining with an alcohol, glycerol, which has three -OH
groups, so each is able to undergo condensation reaction with fatty
acids, to make a triglyceride. Triglyceride contains three fatty acids
and three ester bonds (tri: three). Tails may vary in length
depending upon fatty acids used.
Alcohols