Elementary Biochemistry

DARLENE B. IBIAS
BSBIOLOGY II-A

March 01, 2016

LIPIDS
(SEATWORK)

1. What is a lipid?
Lipids are large and diverse groups of naturally
occurring organic compounds that are related by their
solubility in nonpolar organic solvents and general
insolubility in water. They include many natural oils,
waxes and steroids.
2. Classify lipids.
Lipids are broadly classified into:
1. Simple lipid: these are esters of fatty acids with various
alcohols.
2. Compound/complex lipid: esters of fatty acids
containing groups in addition to an alcohol and a fatty
acid.
3. Precursor and derived lipids: these include fatty acids,
glycerol, steroids, other alcohols, fatty aldehydes, and
ketone bodies, hydrocarbons, lipid-soluble vitamins and
hormones.
3. What is fatty acid?
A carboxylic acid consisting of a hydrocarbon chain
and a terminal carboxyl group, especially any of those
occurring as esters in fats and oils. Fatty acid is one of the
major components of a triglyceride, which is form of lipid
that is used in the body to store energy .
4. Discuss the triacylglycerol and waxes and present
structure.
Triacylglycerol- the systematic chemical name for
triglyceride. The simplest lipids formed by fatty acids. It is
made up of three fatty acids ester linked to a single
glycerol. Most triacylglycerols contain two or three
different fatty acids. Triacylglycerols are nonpolar,
hydrophobic, and insoluble in water. This is due to the
ester linked bond between the polar hydroxyls of glycerol
and the polar carboxylates of the fatty acids.
Triacylglycerol are stored as fat droplets in large amounts
in vertebrate fat cells, and in plants as oils in the seeds.
Triacylglycerol is a better stored energy source than
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polysaccharides because oxidation of triacylglycerol

produces more than the twice as much energy than the
oxidation of carbohydrates.

Waxes are used to coat and protect things in nature. Bees

make wax. It can be used for structures, such as the bees'
honeycombs. Your ears make wax. It is used to protect the
inside of your ear. Plants use wax to stopevaporation of
water from their leaves. There is a compound
called cutinthat you can find in the plant cuticle covering
the surface of leaves. It helps to seal and protect plant
structures. Don't worry about plants being able to breathe.
There are still small holes that let gases in and out of the
leaves. Wax is a type of long chain apolar lipid which made
up of various n-alkanes, ketones, primary alcohol,
secondary alcohols, monoesters, beta diketones,
aldehydes,etc. Waxes will form protective coating on
plants and fruits, and in animal (example: beewax, whale
spermaceti, etc.). More commonly, wax is ester of alcohol
and fatty acids. They differ from fats since they dont have
triglyceride ester of three fatty acids. Waxes are water
resistant, so they are insoluble in water. Due to the
versatility of waxes, nature has manipulated them for their
water-resistant properties, colligative properties (high
melting point, relatively low viscosity at high
temperatures, transparency, etc.) and coating properties.

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5. What are Nonsaponiable Lipids?

A nonsaponifiable lipid is a lipid that is not an ester.
Non-Saponifiable lipids are those lipids that cannot be
hydrolyzed,

Examples: Terpenes, Steroids Fat-soluble Vitamins

6. Discuss Lipids and Nutrition.

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