CHAPTER 1 : BIOLOGY SB015

SEMESTER 1
MOLECULES OF LIFE SESSION 2020/2021

1.3 LIPIDS
LEARNING OUTCOMES
a) State the types of lipid:
triglycerides (fat & oil), phospholipids and
steroids.
b) Describe the structure of fatty acids and
glycerols
c) Explain the formation and breakdown of
triglycerides
1
 General Features of Lipids
• Organic compound with elements
carbon, oxygen, hydrogen, nitrogen and
phosphorus P C H O N
• Insoluble in water but, soluble in organic
solvents (e.g. acetone, ether, chloroform,
benzene)

• Lower density than water

 General Features of Lipids
• Greasy
***greasy = berminyak , licin

• Store more energy than carbohydrates

due to
✔presence of more
carbon-hydrogen (C-H) bonds or
hydrocarbon chains in lipids
***Carbon-hydrogen bonds are strong chemical
bonds that can store high energy
Types of Lipids
 Types of Lipids : 1) Steroid
❖ consists of four hydrocarbon rings with
different functional side chain
❖ e.g. cholesterol, estrogen, testosterone
Side chain

3 4

1 2
3 4

3 4
1 2
1 2
 Importances of Steroids
Cholesterol :
⮚ Important component of cell membrane
that help to regulate fluidity of the cell
membrane
⮚ As precursor in production of steroid
hormones (e.g. estrogen, testosterone)
⮚ Involve in production of bile salt

Steroid hormones :
⮚ Coordinate body activities (e.g. stimulate
secondary sex characteristics in male and
female)
Types of Lipids : 2) Phospholipid
❖ has hydrophilic head
that consists of one
R group, one glycerol
and one phosphate
group

❖ and two hydrophobic

tails of fatty acids
Amphipathic molecule: The molecule has both
hydrophilic and hydrophobic regions.
 Example of Phospholipid : Lecithin
Choline ❖ Lecithin, the main
Hydrophilic head

phospholipid in
Phosphate
cell membrane.
Glycerol ❖ R group is choline
and attached to
phosphate group.
Hydrophobic tails

Fatty acids
Hydrophilic
head

Hydrophobic
tails

(a) Structural formula (b) Space-filling (c) Phospholipid symbol

model
 Importance of Phospholipid
❖ Major component of cell membrane that
provide boundary between outside and inside
cell.
 Types of Lipids : 3) Triglyceride
(i) Fat
⮚ solid in room temperature
e.g. butter

(ii) Oil
⮚ liquid in room temperature
e.g. olive oil
Types of Lipids : Triglyceride
⮚consists of one
glycerol and three
fatty acids
⮚has only
hydrophobic tails
of fatty acids

Ester
linkage
Types of Lipids : Triglyceride

⮚A glycerol and 3
fatty acids are
joined together by
ester bond through
condensation or
esterification
⮚Triglyceride is also
called as
Ester
linkage
triacylglycerol.
 Test your knowledge….

Give ONE structural difference

between phospholipid and
triglyceride.
 Structure of Glycerol
An alcohol that consist of 3 carbons
and 3 hydroxyl groups.
 Structure of Fatty Acids
▪ General formula: RCOOH
*R: hydrocarbon chain
(alkyl group for e.g. -CH3 , -C2H5)
▪ is long, unbranched chain with a
carboxyl group at one end
▪ usually consist of 16 to18 carbon atoms
 Structure of Fatty Acids
▪ The nonpolar C-H bonds in
hydrocarbon chains of fatty acids are
the reason fats are hydrophobic.

Carboxyl
group
 FORMATION & BREAKDOWN
OF TRIGLYCERIDE
Condensation
e
1 Glycerol + 3 Fatty acid Triglyceride + 3 Water
Hydrolysis

Condensation
+ 3 H2O
Hydrolysis

Ester
3 H2O linkage
 FORMATION OF TRIGLYCERIDE

e Condensation
1 Glycerol + 3 Fatty acid Triglyceride + 3 Water

Condensation

+ 3 H2O

3 H2O Ester
linkage
 BREAKDOWN OF TRIGLYCERIDE

e Hydrolysis
Triglyceride + 3 Water 1 Glycerol + 3 Fatty acid

H2O

H2O
Hydrolysis

H2O
 Types of Fatty Acids
based on :

1 2
 Saturated Fatty Acids
• contain only single bond among the
carbon linkage
• has no double bonds
• has maximum number of hydrogen
atoms
• Saturated fat is solid at room
temperature
• found in animal fats
• e.g. stearic acid
Example of saturated fatty acids :
Stearic Acids
 Unsaturated Fatty Acids
• has at least one double bond among the
carbon linkage (one or more double bond)
• number of hydrogen atom is not
maximum
• Unsaturated fat is liquid at room
temperature
• found in fats of plants
(e.g. corn oil, olive oil)
• e.g. oleic acid
Example of unsaturated fatty acids :
Oleic Acids
 Importance of Triglyceride
1. as alternative energy source
2. for energy storage
3. as heat insulator
e.g. fat deposited in adipose tissue
4. to protect internal organs
e.g. fat in abdomen protect kidneys
 Test your knowledge….

Why are lipids not considered to be

macromolecules or polymers ?
 REFERENCE BOOK :

Campbell, N. A. & Reece, J.B. (2016). Biology

(11th ed.) (pp.122-125). Pearson, Benjamin
Cummings Publishing Company, Inc.