TOPIC 6

6A Classes of lipids

major classes of bio molecules

1. Amino acid Proteins
§

⑧EB£⑥z.

2. Nucleotides EBs÷⑧z
⑥
Nucleic acids
3. Monosaccharides EBs÷⑧z
⑥
Polysaccharides
4. Lipids Do not dissolve well in water
Soluble in organic solvents
Important source of energy for cells
Form the basis for biological membranes
Can be enzyme cofactors or signalling molecules

In this lecture we will explore 6 classes of lipids

1. fatty acids
⑧
Have hydrocarbon chains that end in a carboxylic acid group
⑧
Hydrocarbon chains are usually linear, not branched
Usually contain an even # of carbon atoms
Can vary in length, typically having b/w 4 and 24 carbons

Types of fatty acids:

⑧
Saturated fatty acid no double bonds
Can’t fit anymore hydrogens on the chain
E.g.,

⑧
Monounsaturated fatty acid one double bond
The first carbon-carbon double bond added to fatty acids is usually added b/w carbons 9 and10,
counting from the carboxylic acid end
E.g.,

BE
Double bonds in fatty acids are almost always cis

Because there is no rotation around double bonds, a cis double bond forms a bend/kink
in the chain
C is -

fatty acid
(monosaturated)
⑧
Polyunsaturated fatty acid. two or more double bonds
Additional bonds are usually added to every third carbon
E.g.,

at

Although chemists count the carbons in a fatty acid from the carboxylic acid end, in nutrition
literature, the carbons are often counted from the methyl or CH3 end
This terminal carbon can be referred to as the omega carbon
A fatty acid with a double bond three carbons from this end, such as the one above,
is referred to as an omega-3 fatty acid

Functions of fatty acids:

Sources of energy
Structural components of more complicated lipids

2. Triaglycerols
⑧
Glycerol three-carbon molecule with three hydroxyl groups

⑧
Fatty acids can be joined to the OH groups on glycerol via ester linkages
The resulting molecule is called a triacylglycerol (or triglyceride). composed of a glycerol
linked to three fatty acids. E.g.,
Fatty acid The fatty acids in a triacylglycerol can be
Fatty acid of different lengths and diff degrees of
unsaturation
Fatty acid -
Glycerol
-
Tri acyl glycerol

Function of triacylglycerol: used to store fatty acids as energy reserves in adipocytes (I.e., fat
cells)

3. Glycerophospholipids
⑧
If one of the acyl groups of a triacylglycerol is replaced by a phosphate group, the result is a
glycerophospholipid. E.g.,
The phosphate group itself can be modified
with different polar or hydrophilic groups
such as choline or serine. E.g., Choline
 Glycerophospholipids are amphipathic
Examples of glycerophospholipids:

Hydrophilic -

Notice that they all have polar

“head” groups or hydrophilic head groups
(shown in red) and hydrophobic
Hydrophobic tail groups (shown in blue)
“tails”
R = long I

In this diagram, R represents

hydrocarbon the long hydrophobic chains
chains from the fatty acyl parts of
the molecule
⑥
EBs÷⑧# If part of a molecule is hydrophilic, and another part is hydrophobic the molecule is called
amphithatic

Function of glycerophospholipids: Their amphipathic nature makes them ideal molecules to form
the basis of biological membranes

4. sphingolipids
⑧
Another class of amphipathic lipid is based on the molecule sphingosine

Notice that sphingosine itself has a long

hydrophobic, hydrocarbon chain

⑧
The nitrogen of sphingosine can be modified by a fatty acyl chain via an amide linkage to
give a ceramide
A ceramide has two hydrophobic, hydrocarbon chains

⑧
The highlighted OH of a ceramide can be modified with a polar head group, such as
phosphocholine, to give a sphingomyelin

Note that the head groups can

contain carbohydrates, in which
case the lipid would be called a
glycolipid

Sphingomyelins are amphipathic, and like glycerophospholipids, are found in membranes

Function
 5. steroids
⑧
Characterized by a system of 4 connected rings
Three rings have 6 carbons and one has 5 carbons
Examples:

Function: Hormones Component of membranes

6. other lipids
⑧
Some lipids don’t fit into the structural categories previously mentioned but they are still lipids b/c
they are predominately hydrophobic and not very soluble in water

For the purposes of this course, if the structure of a lipid doesn’t match one of the their 5
categories then it goes in this “other lipids” category

⑧
Many structures are possible, for example: