BIOC 2580 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Omega-6 Fatty Acid, Trans Fat, Glycolipid
30 Oct 2016
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Document Summary
Biological lipids are a structurally diverse group of molecules. They are not defined by their chemical structure but by their common chemical property: hydrophobicity. We use organic solvents to dissolve lipids (typically a 2:1 mixture of chloroform and methanol) Glycolipids (eg. sphingolipids, gangliosides) contain both sugar (carbohydrates) and lipid portions. Important constituents of cell membranes: eg. the human blood groups (o, a, b) are defined by the glycolipids (antigens) displayed on the outer surface of blood cells. Lipoproteins (eg. vldl, ldl, hld) plasma lipoproteins that are associated with cardiovascular health and disease. Fatty acids: building blocks of many complex lipids, simplest ones, central intermediates in metabolism but free fatty acids present in trace quantities. Triacylglycerols: storage fat, how fats are stored in our cells (acyl = acid) Carboxylic acids with hydrocarbon chains ranging from 4-36 carbons. Fatty acids with no double bonds b/w carbons in the chain are described as saturated fatty acids: very nonpolar/hydrophobic.
