Table of Contents
What are the two types of lipids that contain a glycerol backbone?
Fats and oils A fat molecule consists of two kinds of parts: a glycerol backbone and three fatty acid tails.
Which lipid has a glycerol as the backbone?
Phospholipids
Phospholipids derived from glycerol are called phosphoglycerides. A phosphoglyceride consists of a glycerol backbone to which two fatty acid chains (whose characteristics were described in Section 12.2.
Which molecules have a glycerol backbone?
Phospholipids comprise the membrane’s matrix. They have a glycerol or sphingosine backbone to which two fatty acid chains and a phosphate-containing group are attached. Steroids are another class of lipids.
What is the backbone for lipids?
glycerol
Most lipids are made up of a 3-carbon backbone called glycerol. The differences between lipids result from the types of chains attached to the carbons of the glycerol molecule.
What does a glycerol backbone do?
Glycerol is a three-carbon molecule and forms the backbone of triglycerides and phospholipids. Triglycerides have three fatty acids, one attached to each of the carbons in glycerol. Phospholipids use two glycerol carbons to bind fatty acids, and the third to bind a phosphate group.
Where does the glycerol backbone come from?
In mammals, triglycerol or its backbone, glycerol 3- phosphate, is usually synthesized from glucose through glycolysis.
What is lipid example?
Lipids are molecules that contain hydrocarbons and make up the building blocks of the structure and function of living cells. Examples of lipids include fats, oils, waxes, certain vitamins (such as A, D, E and K), hormones and most of the cell membrane that is not made up of protein.
What’s the difference between glycerol and triglycerides?
Glycerol is the three-carbon backbone of triglycerides, while fatty acids are longer chains of carbon molecules attached to the glycerol backbone. The “glyceride” in the word “triglyceride” refers to this glycerol backbone, while the “tri” refers to the fact that there are three fatty acids attached.
Which is the best description of a lipid?
Lipids are a class of macromolecules that are nonpolar and hydrophobic in nature. Major types include fats and oils, waxes, phospholipids, and steroids. Fats are a stored form of energy and are also known as triacylglycerols or triglycerides. Fats are made up of fatty acids and either glycerol or sphingosine.
How are phospholipids and triglycerides alike and different?
Like triglycerides, phospholipids have a glycerol backbone. But unlike triglycerides, phospholipids only have two fatty acid molecules attached to the glycerol backbone, while the third carbon of the glycerol backbone is bonded to a phosphate group—a chemical group that contains the mineral phosphorus. Figure. 5.8.
What are the components of a fat molecule?
A fat molecule consists of two main components—glycerol and fatty acids. Glycerol is an organic compound (alcohol) with three carbons, five hydrogens, and three hydroxyl (OH) groups. Fatty acids have a long chain of hydrocarbons to which a carboxyl group is attached, hence the name “fatty acid.”