Lipids

Lipids
It is difficult to define precisely what we mean by a ‘lipid’because lipids are a very varied
group of chemicals. They are all organic molecules which are insoluble in water. The most
familiar lipids are fats and oils. Fats are solid at room temperature and oils are liquid at
room temperature – chemically they are very similar. We could say that true lipids are
esters formed by fatty acids combining with an alcohol.
Fatty acids
Fatty acids are a series of acids, some of which are found in fats (lipids). They contain the
acidic group –COOH, known as a carboxyl group. The larger molecules in the series have
long hydrocarbon tails attached to the acid ‘head’ of the molecule. As the name
suggests, the hydrocarbon tails consist of a chain of carbon atoms combined with hydrogen.
The chain is often 15 or 17 carbon atoms long.
The tails of some fatty acids have double bonds between neighbouring carbon atoms, like
this: –C=C–. Such fatty acids are described as unsaturated because they do not contain the
maximum possible amount of hydrogen. They form unsaturated lipids. Double bonds make
fatty acids and lipids melt more easily – for example, most oils are unsaturated. If there is
more than one double bond, the fatty acid or lipid is described as polyunsaturated; if there
is only one it is monounsaturated. Animal lipids are often saturated (no double bonds) and
occur as fats, whereas plant lipids are often unsaturated and occur as oils, such as olive oil
and sunflower oil.
Triglycerides
The most common lipids are triglycerides. These are fats and oils. A glyceride is an ester
formed by a fatty acid combining with the alcohol glycerol. As we have seen, glycerol has
three hydroxyl groups. Each one is able to undergo a condensation reaction with a fatty
acid. When a triglyceride is made, the final molecule contains three fatty acids tails and
three ester bonds (‘tri’ means three). The tails can vary in length, depending on the fatty
acids used.
Triglycerides are insoluble in water but are soluble in certain organic solvents, including
ether, chloroform and ethanol. This is because of the non-polar nature of the hydrocarbon
tails: they have no uneven distribution of electrical charge. Consequently, they will not mix
freely with water molecules and are described as hydrophobic (water-hating).
Roles of triglycerides
Lipids make excellent energy reserves because they are even richer in carbon–hydrogen
bonds than carbohydrates. A given mass of lipid will therefore yield more energy on
oxidation than the same mass of carbohydrate (it has a higher calorific value), an important
advantage for a storage product.
Adipose tissue is a form of loose connective tissue that includes adipose cells. Adipose cells
synthesise and store droplets of lipid. Adipose tissue is a major source of stored energy in animals,
but it also serves to cushion organs. Layers of adipose tissue under the skin also provide a barrier to
heat loss and act as thermal insulation. Blubber is a thick layer of fat found under the skin of marine
mammals such as whales and sea otters. Blubber helps reduce the loss of body heat. Heat loss is
much greater in water than in the air. When humans eat more food than they have a metabolic
requirement for, they store the extra energy as fat droplets in their cells. This energy can be tapped
when food intake in reduced.
Obesity is a medical condition in which the body stores large amounts of excess fat; this leads to
health risks. Obesity is most commonly caused by the consumption of excess dietary calories.
Obesity can, in many cases, be controlled by calorie reduction and physical exercise.
Obesity in the Caribbean
The rate of obesity among Caribbean populations is reaching epidemic proportions, particularly
among individuals of African descent. There is a consistent gender difference showing that
approximately 25 % of adult Caribbean women are obese; this is almost twice the rate of obesity in
adult Caribbean men. These high obesity rates have raised concerns about the long-term impact of
obesity-related illness such as diabetes mellitus and hypertension. Obesity is now the most prevalent
underlying cause of death in the region. Poor dietary options and a sedentary lifestyle contribute to
developing obesity.
Phospholipids
Phospholipids are a special type of lipid. Each molecule has the unusual property of having one end
which is soluble in water. This is because one of the three fatty acid molecules are replaced by a
phosphate group, which is polar and can therefore dissolve in water. The phosphate group is
hydrophilic (water-loving) and makes the head of a phospholipid molecule hydrophilic, although the
two remaining tails are still hydrophobic.
This allows the molecules to form a membrane around a cell, where the hydrophilic heads lie in the
watery solutions on the outside of the membrane, and the hydrophobic tails form a layer that is
impermeable to hydrophilic substances. The biological significance of this will become apparent
when we study membrane structure.
In water, a group of phospholipid molecules therefore arranges itself into a bilayer, with the
hydrophilic heads facing outwards into the water and the hydrophobic tails facing inwards, therefore
avoiding contact with water.
Waxes
Waxes are formed from fatty acids and long-chain alcohols. They are commonly found wherever
waterproofing is needed, such as in leaf cuticles, insect exoskeletons, birds' feathers and mammals'
fur.
Steroids
Steroids are small hydrophobic molecules found mainly in animals. They include:
• cholesterol, which is found in animals cell membranes to increase stiffness
• bile salts, which help to emulsify dietary fats
• steroid hormones such as testosterone, oestrogen, progesterone and cortisol
• vitamin D, which aids Ca2+ uptake by bones.

Lipids

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Lipids

Obesity in the Caribbean

• cholesterol, which is found in animals cell membranes to increase stiffness

• bile salts, which help to emulsify dietary fats

• steroid hormones such as testosterone, oestrogen, progesterone and cortisol

• vitamin D, which aids Ca2+ uptake by bones.

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