BCH210H1 Lecture Notes - Lecture 13: Triglyceride, Ceramide, Lysosome

• School: UTSG
• Department: Biochemistry
• Course: BCH210H1
• Professor: Reinhart Reithmeier

Document Summary

Lipids: specialized compartments specialized functions, protection, selectively permeable membranes, act as potent signals & messengers. Vast variation of lipid structures various functions. Defining characteristic: has low solubility in water, high solubility in non-polar solvents. Formed by carbon backbone: forms diverse structures. 3 main classes of lipids: storage (triacylglycerol, structure (phospholipid, signalling (steroids, eicosanoids) Bonds mostly exist in the anti" conformation. [# c] : [# double bonds] position of double bonds. Saturated carbons are very ordered (no kinks) can pack very well increases van der waals interactions. Stronger bonds between molecules higher melting temperature. Efficient source of energy: reduced c"s, don"t need to go through oxidative steps to break down, dehydrated, compact doesn"t take up excess space w/ water. Simple triacyglycerols: all the same fatty acids. Fatty acids are attached to polar head groups: oh, sugars, phosphate. Variable: fatty acid tails (length, degree of unsaturation), head group (size, charge) Based on sphingosine structure: 18 carbon amino alcohol backbone.