LIPIDS

-Soluble in organic solvents but not in water.

-Lipid from the Greek word means Fat or lard.
-Important feature in cell membranes and steroid hormones.
2. Different types of lipids:
Triglycerides
Phospholipids
Wax
Lipids
Steroids
Physical
properties

Chemical
properties

Insoluble in water and polar

organic solvents.
Their densities are always less
than water.
They have high viscosity
Their chemical structures are
not very similar between
different categories.
Generally, they are esters
formed from fatty acid and
alcohol.

Group of lipids:
Triglycerides ( triesters of glycerol) :
1.
In the body, Fatty acids are stored as fats and oil, known as Triglycerides.
-General formula:

G
L
Y
C
E
R
O
L

F.A

F.A

TRIGLYCERIDES

F.A
ESTER
BONDS

Produced
by
ESTERIFICATION
REACTION. This means there is a
condensation process between an
alcohol group and carboxylic group.

2. Esterification is also called lipogenesis which one molecule of glycerol

reacts with three molecules of fatty acids as shown below.
The reaction is catalysed by lipase of a ligase.

Fig. 1 Esterification

Distribution

found and this process happen at the adipose tissue

under the skin, can happen also in the liver.
outer layer of the organs such as heart, liver and
digestive ducts.
Membrane neuron (myelin).
in egg shell of the birds and the insects.
The 3 fatty acids in triglycerides are usually the
same type forming products such as tristearin,
tripalmitin and triolein.

Physical
properties

insoluble in water, but dissolve in organic solution

such as far, oils or non-polar groups.
high molecular masses.
has specific gravity is less than water, therefore
they float on water.
form an emulsion if shaken with alcohol.

Chemical
properties

react with atmospheric oxygen and become rancid if kept for too
long a period.
React with Sudan III reagent to form a dark red complex.
Can be hydrolysed by lipase with dilute alkali to form glycerol
and fatty acid.

Physiological
roles

act as energy source and energy reserves.

They can be used for the formation of other chemicals including
glucose to maintain blood glucose level and amino acids to make
proteins. They can be used to form all other chemicals especially
in plants and herbivores after dormancy in winter.
protect organ from physical damage if it is packed in them such
as kidney.
fat at myelin layer works as the electric insulator.
fat is the important solvent for vitamin A, D, E and K and other
hormones.
Saturated fat is the basis substance to synthesis cholesterol.

Differences between
carbohydrates and lipids.

The ration between H and O in

carbohydrate is respectively 2:1 but the
ration of H and O is relatively high.
Carbohydrate dissolves in water but lipids
do not dissolve in water.
Carbohydrate is composed of an
aldehyde
or a ketone sugar lipid is an ester.
Carbohydrate can exist in polymer such
as starch but lipid does not form polymer.
Lipid produces more energy than
carbohydrates.

1. Glycerol :
-is trihydroxyl-propane that is a polyhroxyl alcohol.
-It is a small molecule, which can be respired in the
liver or kidney to liberate energy.

2. Fatty acids:
-The simplest type of lipids and are found as components in more
complex lipids.
- Have an even number of carbon atoms, usually between 10 and 20.
- Contains a long carbon chain attached to a carboxylic acid group
at one end-COOH.

3.

Fatty Acids: divided into saturated F.A and unsaturated F.A.

a.
Saturated fatty acids:
I. Contain only single bond with no double bonds among
their carbon linkages. Therefore, saturated F.A contain only CH2
groups with more hydrogen atom per carbon atom.
examples of F.A as follows:

Palmitic acid, CH3(CH2)14 COOH

Stearic acid, CH3(CH2)16 COOH

as shown below:
Draw the linear structures for stearic and palmitic acid.

Physical
properties

readily solidify when cooled.

usually found in animals and in coconut
oil.

Chemical
properties

Not readily metabolised compared to the

unsaturated ones.
are readily deposited on inner layer of
arterial walls especially with cholesterols
increasing the chances of getting
cardiovascular diseases.

b. Unsaturated fatty acids:

I, contain at least one double bond among their hydrocarbon chain.
ii, the ratio of the number of atoms of hydrogen per carbon atom is lower.
iii, examples of unsaturated fatty acids are as follows:

Oleic acid and Linoleic acid and arachidonic acid.

Draw the structures of Oleic acid:

Physical
properties

Usually found in plants oils especially from

corn and linseed and palm oil (oleic acid).
More readily metabolised than the
saturated ones in our body.
Not so solidified when cooled.

Physiological Unsaturated fatty acids especially those

roles
polysaturated ones are recommended for our
intake because they are readily metabolised
to cut down the risk of contracting
cardiovascular diseases.

2. Phospholipids

a, are lipids that contain phosphorus usually in phosphate

form that can be removed by hydrolysing with phosphatase.
b, they are two major types, the derivatives of phosphotidic acid
or sphingolipid, for which the former is more common.
Hydrophilic head
Hydrophobic tails

Phospholipids symbol

c,

an example is LECITHIN, which is phosphotidylcholine.

its molecular structure is shown on fig.2 below:

fig.2

Lecithin as the membrane cell :

The specific properties and structure in lecithin enable it to form the
cell membrane.
a.

The lecithin head dissolves in water but the tails do not.

b,

In an aqueous medium, the non-polar tails repel water and can

congregate together, the polar heads interact with water through hydrogen
bonding.

c,

Lecithin molecules arrange in double layer.

d,

Hydrophilic heads are linked with hydrogen bonds with water molecules
where the hydrophobic tails link together with each other with weak
Van der Waals.

e,

This is the basic arrangement of the cell membrane. Deposit of the protein
molecules at double layer contributes to cell membrane.

d,

as shown on fig. 2 above, Phospholipids are derived from one molecule of

glycerol bonded with two molecules of fatty acids.

e, One molecule of phosphoric acid forming phosphotidil acid through ester

bonds.
f, Choline is an alcohol complex bonded to the phosphotidil acid forming
lecithin.
g, Distribution of phospholipid- it appears at the plasma membrane
and organelle membrane.
h, widely distributed at nerves, heart and kidney.

Physical properties:
1. They are amphipathic, containing hydophobic and hydrophilic groups.
When phospolipids are added to water, they self-assemble into aggregates
that shield their hydrophobic portions from water.
One kind of cluster is a micelle, a phospholipid droplet with the phosphate
heads on the outside, in contact with water.
The hydrocarbon tails are restricted to the water- free Interior of the micelle.
(fig. 3)

fig. 3

at the surface of a cell, phospholipid are arranged in a bilayer, or double layer

look at fig b.

The hydrophilic head of the molecules are on the outside of the

bilayer, in contact with the aqueous solutions inside and outside the cell.
The hydrophobic tails point toward the interior of the membrane, away from the water.
The phospholipid bilayer forms a boundary between the cell and its external
environment. In fact, phospholipid are major components of cell membranes.

Hydrophilic head
Hydrophobic tail

Function:
essential as the component of cell membrane.

involved in fat transportation in our body.

Lipids normally are transported in our body as phospholipid

in the blood system.

The hydrophilic head dissolves in water and can be transported

in our blood stream.

Ester bond

Waxes

Fatty acid

Long-chain alcohol

Waxes are found in many plants

and animals.
Coatings of carnauba wax on
fruits and the leaves and stems
of plants help to prevent loss of
water and damage from pests.
Waxes on the skin, fur, and
feathers of animals and birds
provide a waterproof coating.
A wax is an ester of a saturated
fatty acid and a long-chain
alcohol, each containing from
14 to 30 carbon atoms.

The formulas of some common

waxes are given in table below.
Beeswax obtained from
honeycombs and carnauba wax
obtained from palm trees are
used to give a protective coating
to furniture, cars and floors.
Jojoba wax is used in making
candles and cosmetics such as
lipstick.
Lanolin, a mixture of waxes
obtained from wool, is used in
hand and facial lotions to aid
retention of water, which softens
the skin.

Some typical waxes

STEROIDS

Are lipids that are made of four

fused hydrocarbon rings as shown
below.

Fig. of cholesterol, a steroid.

Different steroids vary in the

functional groups attached to this
ensemble of rings.
One steroid, cholesterol is a
common component of animal cell
membranes and is also the
precursor from which other
steroids are synthesised.
Many hormones, including
vertebrate sex hormones, are
steroids produced from
cholesterol.

Generally,
Steroid has the similar basic skeleton which is 17 carbon atoms that is
arranged in one 5-C atom ring and 3 6-C atom ring.

Steroids exist in both plants and animals.

Steroids are classified as lipid because they are insoluble in water.
Example of steroids are cholesterol, bile acids, corticosteroids,
estrogens and progesterone, Testosterone, calciferol, D3 and
Ecdysone.

AMINO ACIDS

Proteins are composed of molecular

building blocks called amino acids.

Amino acids contain- 2 functional

group,
I, amino group(-NH2)
ii, carboxylic acid group (-COOH).
General structure of an amino acid.

Although, there are many amino

acids, only 20 different amino
acids are present in the proteins in
human.

The unique characteristics of the

20 a.a are due to a side chain R,
which can be an alkyl, hydroxyl,
thiol, amino, sulphide, aromatic or
heterocyclic group.
There are 4 different group of a.a:
I, Non-polar a.a
ii, polar a.a
Also known as the
iii, acidic a.a
electrically charged
iv, basic a.a
a.a