MOLECULES OF LIFE

“LIPIDS”

Edward V. Ganggang, RN, LPT

Teacher in Biological Science
RSHS-02
Lipid Characteristics
 Lipid = a compound that is insoluble in water,
but soluble in an organic solvent (e.g., ether,
benzene, acetone, chloroform)
 “lipid” is synonymous with “fat”, but also
includes phospholipids, sterols, etc.
 chemical structure: GLYCEROL (three carbon
molecules with hydroxyl) + FATTY ACIDS
(carbon chain with carboxyl group attach to a
carbon atom (-COOH)
Lipid Molecule
Nutritional Uses of Lipids
 We already know that lipids are concentrated sources
of energy (9 kcal/g)
 other functions:
 1) provide means whereby fat-soluble nutrients (e.g.,
sterols, vitamins) can be absorbed by the body
 2) structural element of cell, subcellular components
 3) components of hormones and precursors for
prostaglandin synthesis
 4) Prevent water loss from skin, Insulating material
to prevent heat loss and protection against extreme
colds
Lipid Classes
 simple: FA’s esterified with glycerol
 compound: same as simple, but with other
compounds also attached
 phospholipids: fats containing phosphoric acid and
nitrogen (lecithin)
 glycolipids: FA’s compounded with CHO, but no N
 derived lipids: substances from the above derived
by hydrolysis
 sterols: large molecular wt. alcohols found in nature
and combined w/FA’s (e.g., cholesterol)
Saturated vs. Unsaturated Fatty Acids

 saturated: the SFA’s of a lipid have no double

bonds between carbons in chain
 polyunsaturated: more than one double bond
in the chain
 most common polyunsaturated fats contain the
polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) oleic, linoleic
and linolenic acid
 unsaturated fats have lower melting points
 stearic (SFA) melts at 70oC, oleic (PUFA) at 26oC
Fatty Acids Commonly Found in Lipids

Sat. Fatty Acids Formula Melting Point (oC)

Butyric C4H8O2 Liquid
Palmitic C16H22O2 63
Stearic C18H36O2 70
Unsat. Fatty Acids Formula Melting Point (oC)
Oleic C18H34O2 Liquid
Linoleic C18H32O2 Liquid
Linolenic C18H30O2 Liquid
Saturated vs. Unsaturated Fats

 saturated fats tightly packed, clog arteries as

atherosclerosis
 because of double bonds, polyunsaturated
fats do not pack well -- like building a wall
with bricks (sat.) vs. irregular-shaped objects
(unsat.)
 plant fats are much higher in PUFA’s than
animal fats
Lipid Digestion/Absorption
 Fats serve a structural function in cells, as sources of
energy, and insulation
 the poor water solubility of lipids presents a problem
for digestion: substrates are not easily accessible to
digestive enzymes
 even if hydrolyzed, the products tend to aggregate to
larger complexes that make poor contact with the
cell surface and aren’t easily absorbed
 to overcome these problems, changes in the physical
state of lipids are connected to chemical changes
during digestion and absorption
Lipid Digestion/Absorption
Five different phases:
 hydrolysis of triglycerides (TG) to free fatty acids (FFA)
and monoacylglycerols
 solubilization of FFA and monoacylglycerols by
detergents (bile acids) and transportation from the
intestinal lumen toward the cell surface
 uptake of FFA and monoacylglycerols into the cell and
resynthesis to triglyceride
 packaging of TG’s by chylomicrons
 exocytosis of chylomicrons into lymph
Enzymes Involved in Digestion
of Lipids
 lingual lipase: provides a stable interface with
aqueous environment of stomach
 pancreatic lipase: major enzyme affecting
triglyceride hydrolysis
 colipase: protein anchoring lipase to the lipid
 lipid esterase: secreted by pancreas, acts on
cholestrol esters, activated by bile
 phospholipases: cleave phospholipids, activated
by trypsin
 What about Bile???
 These are biological detergents synthesized by the liver
and secreted into the intestine
 they form the spherical structures (micelles) assisting in
absorption
 hydrophobic portion (tails of FA) are located to the inside
of the micelle, with heads (hydrophillic portion) to the
outside
 they move lipids from the intestinal lumen to the cell
surface
 absorption is by diffusion (complete for FA and
monoglycerides, less for others)
 Factors Affecting Absorption of Lipids

 amount of fat consumed

(fat=digestion=absorption)
 age of subject ( age =  digestion)
 emulsifying agents ( digestion = 
absorption)
 chain length of FA’s (> 18C =  digestibility)
 degree of saturation of FA ( sat = 
digestibility)
Lipid Metabolism/Absorption
 short chain FA’s are absorbed and enter the portal
vein to the liver
 those FA’s with more than 10 carbons are
resynthesized by the liver to triglycerides
 they are then converted into chylomicrons and pass
to the lymphatic system
 some FA’s entering the liver are oxidized for
energy, others stored
 blood lipids: 45% P-lipids, 35% triglycerides, 15%
cholestrol esters, 5% free FA’s
 Lipid
Digestion/
Absorption
 Lipid
Digestion/
Absorption
Characteristics of Fat Storage
 Most of the body’s energy stores are
triglycerides
 storage is in adipose, source is dietary
or anabolism (synthesis) from COH or
AA carbon skeletons
 remember obesity?
 adipose can remove FA’s from the blood
and enzymes can put them back
Fatty Acid Nomenclature
 Nomenclature reflects location of double
bonds
 also used are common names (e.g., oleic,
stearic, palmitic)
 linoleic is also known as 18:2 n-6
 this means the FA is 18 carbons in length,
has 2 double bonds, the first of which is on
the 6th carbon
 arachidonic = 20:4 n-6
What’s in a Name??

Fatty Acid Nomenclature

Essential Fatty Acids
 Only recently determined as essential (1930)
 body can synthesize cholesterol,
phospholipids
 research: same as AA’s but via addition
(EFA’s added improved growth, NEFA’s didn’t)
 requirement determined by depleting fat
reserves of subject animal: difficult
Essential Fatty Acids (fish)
 Most NEAA found in marine food webs
 Essential fatty acids (to date):
– linoleic (18:2 n-6; terrestrials; fish - not really)
– linolenic (18:3 n-3; terrestrials; fish)
– arachidonic (20:4 n-6; marine maybe)
– eicosopentaenoic acid (20:5 n-3, marine)
– docosohexaenoic (22:6 n-3, marine)
 Why? Because elongation beyond 18 carbons is very
difficult in marine fish (lack pathways)
 actual EFA requirement is a matter of whether the fish is
FW/SW or WW/CW
 Essential Fatty Acids (most
animals)
 salmonids need n-3 FA’s for membrane
flexibility in cold water (why does this work?)
 trout can elongate and desaturate n-3 FA’s
 Linoleic acid (18:2 n-6) is the most essential
 addition of arachidonic is also helpful in
deficient diets, but can be synthesized from
linoleic (maybe sparing effect)
 EFA’s, like EAA’s, must be dietary
 Essential Fatty Acids
LINOLEIC CH3(CH2)4CH=CHCH2CH=CH(CH2)7COOH
18:2 n-6
LINOLENIC CH3CH2CH=CHCH2CH=CHCH2CH=CH(CH2)7COOH
18:3 n-3
EICOSOPENTAENOIC ACID
CH3CH2CH=CHCH2CH=CHCH2CH=CHCH2CH=CHCH2CH=CH(CH2)3COOH
20:5 n-3
DOCOSOHEXAENOIC ACID - YOU CAN DO THIS ONE!
Lipids as Crustacean Energy
Sources
 Largely, n-6 FA’s (linoleic) used for energy
 as temperature drops, requirement for
monounsaturated and PUFA’s increases
 change in temperature = change in diet
 cold water species = increased dietary HUFA’s
 maturation animals: increased requirement for
20:4 n-6, 20:5 n-3 and 22:6 n-3 for proper
spawning
Part 2: Carbohydrate
Characteristics

From: Lovell; D’Abramo et al.

 General Comments
 Carbohydrates often written as “COH”
 much of what we need to know about
them, besides their structure, was
covered in “Bioenergetics, Parts 1&2”
 here, we cover structure
 Carbohydrate Structure
 Basic chemical structure consists of
sugar units
 found as aldehydes or ketones derived
from polyhydric alcohols
 contain: C, H, O
 often shown as aliphatic or linear
structures, but exist in nature as ringed
structures
Glucose Structure
O
CH2OH
C-H
O
H H
H- C-OH
OH H
HO-C-H
HO OH
H-C-OH
H OH
H-C-OH
Haworth perspective
CH2OH
Carbohydrate Classification

 Usually by the number of sugar units in the

molecule:
– monosaccharides (glucose)
– disaccharides (2 units)
 maltose (2 glucose units)

 sucrose (glucose + fructose)

– polysaccharides (long chain polymers of

monosaccharides
– most important polysaccharides to animals are
starch and cellulose
 Starch and Cellulose
CH2OH CH2OH

O O
H H H H

OH H OH H starch
O O O

H OH H OH
CH2OH CH2OH

O H O
H
O O
O
OH H OH H
H H

cellulose
H OH H OH
 Starch and Cellulose
 Starch contains -D-glucose linkage
 Cellulose has a -D-glucose linkage
 we store starch in muscle tissues as glycogen,
peeled off by enzymes when needed
 cellulose is primary component of plant
tissue, largely indigestible to monogastrics
 must have enzyme, “cellulase”