Fats, Oils, Phospholipids,

Waxes, Steroids, Soaps

BL10A HALL 2006

Lipids Outline
Lipids (structure and function)

Structure (components) & properties

Saturated and unsaturated fatty acids

Phospholipids, micelles
Steroids, cholesterol

BL10A HALL 2006

Objectives At the end of

this
lesson
you
should
be
Lipids (structure and function)
able
to:the structure of triglycerides and
1.Describe
their components
2.Differentiate between saturated and
unsaturated fatty acids
3.Describe the structure of phospholipids,
steroids.
4.State the function and properties of different
types of lipids.
BL10A HALL 2006

Consist of C, H and O; Have less O

Lipids
atoms but more C-H bonds than

carbohydrates.

Non-polar, so do not dissolve in

water
Vital component of membranes
that divide one aqueous
compartment in the body from
another.
BL10A HALL 2006

Lipids
Will dissolve in non-polar substances

such as alcohols, acetone, ether and

chloroform.
source of energy
Lipids act as energy storage molecules
in plants, animals and other organisms.
Involved in insulation and structural

support.

Lipids =Fats and Oils

Fats commonly formed by

animals; solid at room

temperature
Oils commonly formed by

plants; liquid at room

temperature.
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Lipids = Fats
and
Oils
Belong to the chemical group
called esters

Compounds formed by reaction

between an alcohol and an acid.

Usually made from glycerol

(3 C alcohol) and fatty acids

in living things
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Forming lipids Glycerol

Glycerol
3 C molecule with each C bearing
a OH (hydroxyl) group.
The C atoms form the backbone
of the fat molecule.
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Forming lipids Glycerol

Has three sites available to form

ester linkages with fatty acids.

Forms monoglyceride, diglyceride, or

tri-glycerides depending on whether it

is bound to one, two, or three fatty
acids.
Also

called (monoacylglycerol,
diacylglycerol or tri-acylglycerol)
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Forming lipids Fatty Acids

Fatty acid
A long chain of C and H atoms
(hydrocarbon chain) with a
carboxyl group at one end.
Length varies
Nature of the fatty acids
determines the nature of the fat
formed
Approximately 30 different fatty
acids are common in lipids
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Forming lipids Fatty

Acids
Saturated fatty acids

No double bonds between any C atoms.

Contains maximum possible number of

H atoms; solid at room temperature.

All possible bonds are used.
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Forming lipids Fatty Acids

Unsaturated fatty acids

Have 1 double bonds. Triglycerides have

many.
Tend to be oils at room temperature
because
They have a lower melting point
The chains are harder to pack closer
together due to kinks in the tail.
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Fatty Acids - Symbols

Saturated

Unsaturated

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Forming lipids Fatty Acids

The carboxyl end of a

fatty acid molecule is

hydrophilic
will dissolve in aqueous
solutions in the cell

hydrophilic
head

hydrophobic
tail

The hydrocarbon chain is

hydrophobic.
will attach to or dissolve
in nonpolar organic
compounds.
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Forming lipids Fatty

Acids
Fatty acids tend to lie along interfaces
between nonpolar and aqueous environments
which
makes them important components of cell
membranes that divide living systems into
compartments.
is the source of the cleaning power of soaps
and detergents.

Washing: the hydrophilic part of the soap molecule interacts

with the water while the hydrophobic "greasy" end of the
soap molecule attaches itself to the grease, letting water
seep in around it. The grease is loosed and surrounded by
soap molecules, which are rinsed off by water.
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Fatty Acids
Seldom occur free;
Usually combined with other
molecules to form substances such as
Glycolipids (carbohydrate + lipid)
Lipoproteins (lipid + protein).

Or are monomers of more complex

lipids.

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FATS: Monoglycerides
One fatty acid joined to glycerol results

in a Monoglyceride.
The one fatty acid can be joined on any
of the 3 carbons on glycerol.
ester linkage
glycerol

fatty acid

Alpha monogyceride fatty acid joined to first carbon

Beta monoglyceride fatty acid joined to second carbon

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FATS: Diglycerides

Formed when two fatty acid are joined to

glycerol.
The fatty acids can be the same or different.

, diglyceride fatty acid joined to first and last carbon of glycerol

, diglyceride - fatty acid joined to first or last and second carbon

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Triglycerides
Consists of one molecule glycerol attached

to 3 fatty acid molecules (same or

different from each other) by ester
linkages.
The 3 alcohol (OH) groups of the glycerol
have reacted with the carboxyl (COOH)
groups of three fatty acids.
3 molecules of water have been removed.
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Triglycerides
Also called triacylglycerol (TAG);

Triglycerides are what is usually

referred to as Fats
Major function of fats = Energy
Storage.

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Trigylcerides
Animals that live in cold habitats,

such as fish in the Artic and Antarctic,

usually contain triglycerides that are
less saturated than those of animals
from warmer areas. If they did not,
their bodies would become rigid at the
low temperatures they encounter.
Unsaturated fats have looser chains and

lower melting points.

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Saponification
Soap production
Triglycerides are reacted with
sodium or potassium hydroxide to
produce glycerol and a fatty acid
salt, called 'soap'.
Natural soaps are sodium or
potassium salts of fatty acids.
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Saponification

glycerol, ester bond, fatty acid

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Soaps
Alkali metal salts of fatty acids

(soaps) are more soluble in water

than the fatty acids themselves.
Soaps have a nonpolar hydrocarbon
chain, the "tail", and a polar (often
ionic) "head group".
Their use as cleaning agents is
facilitated by their surfactant
character, which lowers the surface
tension of water.
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Soaps
Polar end of the soap molecule is

attracted to water
Hydrophobic end is attracted to
oil, grease, soil but is repelled by
water.
Soaps are able to emulsify
(disperse in water) and hold the
dirt or oil in suspension until it can
be washed away.
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Phospholipids
Lipids in which one of the fatty acid

groups is replaced by a phosphate

group
Therefore consist of glycerol + 2 fatty
acids + 1 phosphate group.
Phosphate is hydrophilic; Hydrocarbon
chain of fatty acid hydrophobic.
Important property in cell membrane

formation and function where they

phospholipids form bilayers.

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Ester linkage
Phospholipid Structure
Fatty acid

Fatty acid
Glycerol

Phosphate group

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Structure Of A Phospholipid: Phosphatidyl

choline

Additional small charged or polar molecules (eg. Choline,

Serine, Inositol) may be linked to negatively charged
phosphate group leading to a variety of phospholipids.

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Phospholipids Relations with

Water
Not soluble in water
Less dense than water; Tend to float on the

surface
If a small amount is poured on water, it forms
a monolayer (one molecule thick) with the
hydrophilic ends of the molecule orienting
towards the water.
Polar phosphate
groups
Non-polar
hydrocarbon
chains

Air

Water
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Phospholipids
If shaken vigorously with

water, they form a

suspension of droplets
called micelles.
Hydrophilic ends of the
molecule face outwards to
interact with the water,
while the fatty acid chains
face inwards and tend to
bind to each other.

Water

Micelles in water

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Waxes
Formed by the condensation of

many fatty acids with longer chain

alcohols (longer than glycerol).
Used mainly as a waterproofing
material by plants and animals.
E.g., cuticle, epidermis, skin,
feather, human ear canal.
Most waxes melt at higher
temperatures than triglycerides
and are solid at room temperature.
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Steroids
All have a basic 4-ringed carbon

rigid backbone
Do not have fatty acids.
Have no structural relationship to
fats and phospholipids
Classified as lipids because
they are insoluble in water and
soluble in organic solvents.
e.g., testosterone, oestrogen, cholesterol

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Steroids
Cholesterol
One of the most common steroids
Found in blood, nervous tissue and cell

membranes.
Found in a free state or in combination with
fatty acids.

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Other functions of
lipids
Shock absorbers for internal
organs
Carries fat soluble vitamins
(A,D,E,K)
Accentuates the body
Supplies essential fatty acids

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