University:
Liberty University
Course:
BIOM 500 | Introduction to Biomedical Sciences
Academic year:

2024
Views:

124

Pages:

5
Author:

Sheha A.

3 Classes of Lipids 1. Simple Lipids: Esters of fatty acids with various alcohols (e.g., fats, oils, waxes) 2. Compound Lipids: Esters of fatty acids with alcohol and also containing additional groups such as phosphoric acid, nitrogenous base, etc. (e.g., phospholipids, glycolipids, lipoproteins) 3. Derived Lipids: Substances derived from simple and compound lipids by hydrolysis (e.g., fatty acids, glycerol) Fatty Acids: Fatty acids are aliphatic carboxylic acids with even number of carbon atoms ranging from C4 to C24. A constituent of lipids R-COOH Classification: Depending on the length of the chain: a) Fatty acids having short chain: 4-8 carbon atoms b) Medium chain fatty acids: 10-14 carbon atoms c) Long chain fatty acids: 16 or more carbon atoms Depending upon the presence of double bonds: a) Saturated fatty acids: All carbon atoms are joined by single bonds. b) Unsaturated fatty acids: Contain one or more double bonds. These are further classified into: Monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA): Contain one double bond. Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA): Contain two or more double bonds.