This means they are not able to be tightly packed and results in oils that are liquid at room temperature. Unsaturated fatty acids (which in nature usually contain cis double bonds) have bent tails. This tight packing generates fats that are solid at room temperature, for example, butter. Trans fats are rare in nature.įat molecules with fully saturated tails can pack tightly against one another because the single bonds result in straight molecules. A cis double bond generates a bend in the molecule, influencing its structure and downstream function. This describes whether the hydrogen atom is on the same side ( cis) or opposite sides ( trans). The double bonds in unsaturated fatty acids can exist in either a cis or a trans configuration. Unsaturated fatty acids are usually liquid at room temperature and are called oils. If there is one double bond, the triglyceride is said to be “ monounsaturated”, if it has multiple double bonds, it is “ polyunsaturated”.
This generates fats that are usually solid at room temperature.Īlternatively, if one or more of the bonds between the carbon atoms are double bonds, the lipid is said to be “ unsaturated”. In the fatty acid chains, the carbon atoms could have single bonds between them making the lipid “ saturated”. The structure of the fatty acids influences the structure of the lipid. The bond that forms between the fatty acid chain and the glycerol is called an ester bond. The glycerol backbone becomes attached to the three fatty acids through a condensation reaction because three molecules of water are formed.
Glycerol has three carbons, with 3 OH molecules attached. The fatty acids in the triglyceride could be the same or could have different structures. Fatty acids are chains of carbon atoms (between 14 and 22) with the end carbon possessing a carboxyl group (COOH). Triglycerides are made up of 3 fatty acid chains attached to a glycerol backbone. The most common type of lipids is called triglycerides. Lipids play a variety of important functions in the cells. Lipids are composed of the elements carbon, hydrogen and oxygen, similar to carbohydrates, but contain less water. Lipids have diverse roles in the cell, including energy storage, making the cell membrane, and the production of hormones.
This impacts whether the compound is a fat or an oil. Fatty acids can be saturated (single bonds between all carbons) or unsaturated, at least one double bond between carbons.Triglycerides are generated by a condensation reaction, and the bond between glycerol and the fatty acid is called an ester bond.Lipids are most often triglycerides, which are made up of 3 fatty acids and glycerol.Summary of Lipid Structures and Functions What is the structure of a triglyceride?.What is the difference between saturated and unsaturated fatty acids?.Summary of Lipid Structures and Functions.
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