Biochemistry 2288A Lecture Notes - Lecture 6: Unsaturated Hydrocarbon, Lipid Bilayer, Membrane Lipids

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Fatty acid chains are components of cell membranes: : amphipathic is a term used to describe a molecule that possesses both hydrophobic and hydrophilic regions. Serve as a concentrated food reserve in cells; can be broken down to produce about six times as much usable energy, weight for weight, as glucose. In cell membranes, the tightness of the packing of fatty acid tails affects the fluidity of the membrane. All fatty acids have carboxyl groups at one end and long hydrocarbon tails at the other. If free, the carboxyl group of a fatty acid will be ionized. But more often it is linked to other groups to form either esters or amides. Hundreds of different kinds of fatty acids exist. Some have one or more double bonds in their hydrocarbon tail and are said to be unsaturated. Fatty acids with no double bonds are saturated. This double bond is rigid and creates a kink in the chain.

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