Lipids
Cue Notes
Glossary Ester bond- A covalent bond which is formed when the hydroxyl (-OH) group of the
glycerol bonds with the carboxyl (-COOH) group of the fatty acid.
Fatty acid- a chain of carbon atoms with hydrogen bonds surrounding it and a
carboxyl group (-COOH) at one end.
Glycerol- a small organic molecule with 3 hydroxyl group (-OH)
Phosphate- a salt of phosphoric acid, containing phosphorus and oxygen.
Triglyceride- is formed when a glycerol molecule bonds with 3 fatty acids (varied) in
condensation reactions to form 3 new ester bonds and 3 molecules of water.
Hydrolysis- a reaction that breaks down molecules by inserting water into the
molecule, the reverse of condensation reactions.
Condensation- a reaction which joins monomers together by chemical bonds and has
a by-product of water.
Phospholipid- a special type of lipid where only one end is soluble in water
(hydrophilic). A major component in cell membranes.
Polar- a molecule that has both positive and negative components.
Hydrophilic- a molecule that can interact with water because of their charge, it is
polar.
Hydrophobic- a molecule that cannot interact with water because it has no charge, it
is non-polar.
Saturated- a substance where all the atoms are only linked by single bonds.
Unsaturated- a compound that contains at least one double/ triple bond, capable of
undergoing addition reactions.
Coronary arteries- the arteries that supply the heart tissue with blood.
Lipoproteins- molecules comprised of a lipid and a protein. There are 2 types: Low-
density and high-density.
Atheroma- the fatty material that builds up inside your arteries.
Emulsion test- The test for fats and oils.
What does a glycerol molecule look
like?
What is the reaction to make a
triglyceride?
What is the general formula for a
saturated/ unsaturated fatty acid?
Saturated fatty acids are when the chain is only single carbon-carbon bonds along the
What are the differences between hydrocarbon (the carbon atoms are linked to the max. number of hydrogen atoms).
saturated and unsaturated fatty The chains form straight zigzags so the molecules can align readily, so fats are solid at
acids? room temperature. They are useful for storage in mammals.
Unsaturated fatty acids occur when there is at least one carbon-carbon double bond
(C=C). This means that the chain gets a kink so they cannot align uniformly, therefore
the lipid doesn’t solidify readily and it is a liquid at room temperature, they are oils.
Plant lipids are usually unsaturated, olive oil and sunflower oil. If there is only one C=C
then it is monounsaturated, but if there’s many C=C it is polyunsaturated.
Cue Notes
Glossary Ester bond- A covalent bond which is formed when the hydroxyl (-OH) group of the
glycerol bonds with the carboxyl (-COOH) group of the fatty acid.
Fatty acid- a chain of carbon atoms with hydrogen bonds surrounding it and a
carboxyl group (-COOH) at one end.
Glycerol- a small organic molecule with 3 hydroxyl group (-OH)
Phosphate- a salt of phosphoric acid, containing phosphorus and oxygen.
Triglyceride- is formed when a glycerol molecule bonds with 3 fatty acids (varied) in
condensation reactions to form 3 new ester bonds and 3 molecules of water.
Hydrolysis- a reaction that breaks down molecules by inserting water into the
molecule, the reverse of condensation reactions.
Condensation- a reaction which joins monomers together by chemical bonds and has
a by-product of water.
Phospholipid- a special type of lipid where only one end is soluble in water
(hydrophilic). A major component in cell membranes.
Polar- a molecule that has both positive and negative components.
Hydrophilic- a molecule that can interact with water because of their charge, it is
polar.
Hydrophobic- a molecule that cannot interact with water because it has no charge, it
is non-polar.
Saturated- a substance where all the atoms are only linked by single bonds.
Unsaturated- a compound that contains at least one double/ triple bond, capable of
undergoing addition reactions.
Coronary arteries- the arteries that supply the heart tissue with blood.
Lipoproteins- molecules comprised of a lipid and a protein. There are 2 types: Low-
density and high-density.
Atheroma- the fatty material that builds up inside your arteries.
Emulsion test- The test for fats and oils.
What does a glycerol molecule look
like?
What is the reaction to make a
triglyceride?
What is the general formula for a
saturated/ unsaturated fatty acid?
Saturated fatty acids are when the chain is only single carbon-carbon bonds along the
What are the differences between hydrocarbon (the carbon atoms are linked to the max. number of hydrogen atoms).
saturated and unsaturated fatty The chains form straight zigzags so the molecules can align readily, so fats are solid at
acids? room temperature. They are useful for storage in mammals.
Unsaturated fatty acids occur when there is at least one carbon-carbon double bond
(C=C). This means that the chain gets a kink so they cannot align uniformly, therefore
the lipid doesn’t solidify readily and it is a liquid at room temperature, they are oils.
Plant lipids are usually unsaturated, olive oil and sunflower oil. If there is only one C=C
then it is monounsaturated, but if there’s many C=C it is polyunsaturated.
