BIOL 1000 Lecture Notes - Lecture 10: Butterfat, Carboxylic Acid, Hydrophile
Document Summary
A diverse group of nonpolar biological molecules. Ability to dissolve in organic solvents and inability to dissolve in water. Lipids that are important in cellular function, e. g. fats, steroids and phospholipids. Consist of a glycerol molecule linked by ester bonds to three fatty acids. Fatty acid are long, unbranched hydrocarbon chains with a single carboxyl group at one end. The hydrocarbon chain is hydrophobic, whereas the carboxyl group (-cooh), which bears a negative charge, is hydrophilic. Molecules having both hydrophobic and hydrophilic regions known to be amphipathic. E. g. soaps, which consists of fatty acids. Soaps owe their grease-dissolving capability to the fact that the hydrophobic end of each can embed itself in the grease, whereas the hydrophilic end can interact with the surrounding water. Fatty acids differ from each other in the length of their hydrocarbon chain and the presence and absence of double bonds. Fatty acids present in cells typically vary in length from 14 to.
