BIOC 311 Lecture Notes - Lecture 15: Chemical Formula, Phosphoenolpyruvate Carboxykinase, Pyrophosphatase
12 Feb 2020
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Document Summary
Long chains of carbons with a carboxylic acid tail. Various types: branched chained fatty acids: Uncommon in eukaryotes, more common in prokaryotes. Humans have 2: phytanic acid and pristanic acid (phytanic acid is basically pristanic acid with an extra propionyl residue) found in milk products. Isoprenoids (discussed by prof. denis) are similar in structure: coq has an isoprenoid tail, saturated fatty acids, unsaturated fatty acids. All carbons are sp3 (bound to 4 atoms) When number of carbon goes up, increases the melting point. Some carbons make double bonds (sp2), either with oxygen or with other carbons will be broken down. The carbon-carbon bonds can be cis or trans, which changes how the fatty acid. Different properties based on saturated, cis-unsaturated or trans-unsaturated, useful to change membrane properties (for example, cis have larger widths, lower melting points) Cis bonds, being more unstable, confer lower melting points. Trans bonds are stable and would melt at higher temperature than cis-bonds: monounsaturated vs polyunsaturated.
