LIPIDS

Lipids are a class of biological molecules defined by low

solubility in water and high solubility in nonpolar
solvents.
As molecules that are largely hydrocarbon in nature,
lipids represent highly reduced forms of carbon and,
upon oxidation in metabolism, yield large amounts of
energy. Lipids are thus the molecules of choice for
metabolic energy storage.

Classification

By structure:
1. Simple (fats, oils, waxes, steroids).
2. Complex (phospholipids, sphingolipids,
glycolipids).
3. Their derivatives (hormones, fatsolubility
vitamins)
By hydrolysis reactions in alkaline
solution:
1. Saponifiable lipids can be hydrolyzed
under alkaline conditions to yield salts
of fatty acids.
2. Nonsaponifiable lipids do not undergo
hydrolysis reactions in alkaline solution.

Biological functions

The most important role of lipids is as fuel. Thus

fat is the most concentrated form in which
potential energy can be stored.
Since fat is bad conductor of heat, it provides
excellent insulation.
Fat may also provide padding to protect the
internal organs.
Some compounds derived from lipids are
important building blocks of biologically active
materials.
Lipoproteins are constituents of cell membranes.
One more important function of dietary lipids is
that of supplying the so-called essential fatty acids

Fatty acids
are saponifiable lipid building blocks.
Fatty acids are naturally occurring carboxylic acids with an
unbranched carbon chain and an even number of carbon atoms.
The pathway by which fatty acids are biosynthesized they almost
always contain an even number of carbon atoms. Long-chain fatty
acids (12 to 26 carbon atoms) are found in meats and fish;
medium-chain fatty acids (6 to 10 carbon atoms) and short-chain
fatty acids (fewer than 6 carbon atoms) occur primarily in dairy
products.
There are saturated and unsaturated Fatty acids.

FUNCTIONS AND BIOLOGICAL ROLE

STORE ENERGY
ALL BIOLOGICAL CELL MEMBRANES
CHEMICAL MESSENGERS (HORMONES)
THERMAL AND ELECTRICAL INSULATION
(e.g.: NEUROLEMMA THAT SURROUNDS THE AXON)

MICRONUTRIENTS (FAT-SOLUBLE VITAMINS)

PROCESSES
HYDROLYSIS OF TRIGLYCERIDES (LIPASE)
BETA OXIDATION OF FATTY ACIDS
BIOSYNTHESIS
SAPONIFICATION
HYDROGENATION

Saturated fatty acid

Fatty acid chains that contain only carbon-carbon single bonds are
referred to as saturated.

Palmitic acid:

Unsaturated fatty acid

Those

molecules that contain one or

more double bonds are said to be
unsaturated.
There are mono- and polyunsaturated
fatty acids.
Oleic acid:

Essential fatty acids

or EFAs, are fatty acids that humans and other
animals must ingest because the body requires them
for good health but cannot synthesize them. The term
"essential fatty acid" refers to fatty acids required for
biological processes but does not include the fats that
only act as fuel.
Only two fatty acids are known to be essential for
humans:
Alpha-linolenic acid (omega-3)
Linoleic acid (omega-6)

Structure of fatty
acids

Prostaglandins are derivative of fatty

polyunsaturated acids

Waxes
wax is monoester formed from the
reaction
of

long-chain
monohydroxy alcohol with fatty
acid
molecule.
The
block
diagram:

Example
Biological role: They serve as protective
coatings on leaves, stems, and fruit of plants and
the skin and fur of animals.

WAXES

Beeswax is a natural wax produced in the bee hive of honey

bees of the genus Apis.

Beeswax is a tough wax formed from a mixture of several compounds.

An approximate chemical formula for beeswax is C15H31COOC30H61.
Its main components are palmitate and esters of long-chain (3032
carbons) aliphatic alcohols, with the ratio of tricontanyl palmitate
CH3(CH2)29O-CO-(CH2)14CH3

Oils and fats

Fatty

acid esters of the polyalcohol

glycerol are called acylglycerol or
glicerides; neutral fat
Reaction formation of
triacylglicerols or
triglyceride

Reaction formation of
triacylglicerol

Structure of triacylglycerol
or triglyceride

Fat

Oil

trans double bond

straight chain
strong crystalline structure
high melting point
solid at room temperature

cis double bond

folded chain
weak crystalline structure
low melting point
liquid at room temperature

Chemical properties
Hydrolysis.

There is acetic,
basic and enzymes
hydrolysis

Triglycerides
Triglyceride: An ester of glycerol with three fatty
acids.
Saponification

O
O CH2OCR
R'COCH O
CH2OCR''
A triglyceride

1. NaOH, H2 O
2. HCl, H2 O

CH2OH
HOCH
CH2OH

RCOOH
+

1,2,3-Propanetriol
(Glycerol, glycerin)

R'COOH
R''COOH
Fatty acids

Soaps and Detergents

Natural soaps are prepared by boiling lard or

other animalOfat with NaOH, in a reaction called
CH2 OCR (Latin, sapo, soap).
saponification
O
RCOCH

O
CH2 OCR

+ 3NaOH

A triglyceride
(a triester of glycerol)

saponification
CH2 OH
CHOH

CH2 OH
1,2,3-Propanetriol
(Glycerol; Glycerin)

O
+
3RCO Na
Sodium soaps

COO Na

Soaps and Detergents

Soaps clean by acting as emulsifying agents:

Their long hydrophobic hydrocarbon chains are

insoluble in water and tend to cluster in such a
way as to minimize their contact with water.

Their polar hydrophilic carboxylate groups, on the

other hand, tend to remain in contact with the
surrounding water molecules.

Driven by these two forces, soap molecules

spontaneously cluster into micelles.

Soaps and Detergents

A soap micelle: nonpolar (hydrophobic)

hydrocarbon chains cluster in the inside and polar
(hydrophilic) carboxylate groups lie on the
surface.

Soaps and Detergents

micelle: A spherical arrangement of organic

molecules in water clustered so that their
hydrophobic parts are buried inside the sphere
and their hydrophilic parts are on the surface of
the sphere and in contact with water.

when soap is mixed with water-insoluble grease,

oil, and fats, the nonpolar parts of the soap
micelles dissolve these nonpolar dirt molecules
and they are carried away in the polar wash
water.

Hydrogenation.

Phospholipides
Phosphoacylglycerols

are triesters of glycerol in which two -

groups are esterified with fatty acids and one the third is esterified
with phosphoric acid, which in turn is esterified to an alcohol.
a) Phosphatidylethanolamines
b) Phosphatidylcholines
c) Phosphatidylserines
Phosphosphingolipid are esters of dialcohol sphingosine
in
which a fatty acid in amide linkage on the amino group and the
phosphorylcholine group attached by way of the terminal alcohol
group.