Biochemistry ~ Lipids

 fats are the major source of energy in the liver and muscle, and in all human tissues in
general  except the red blood cells and the brain
 fats are not water soluble
 enzymes that break them down are soluble
 fats are important components of all cells and tissues
 membranes have lipids (esp. phosphoglycerides, sphingolipids & cholesterol)
 in adipose cells, fatty acids are converted to triglycerides & stored

 during fasting  fatty acids (from adipose triglyceride stores) are oxidized by various tissues
to produce energy
 in the liver, fatty acids are converted to ketone bodies  oxidized by tissues such as muscle
and kidney

 lipids are a heterogenous group of water-insoluble, organic molecules

 they can be extracted from tissues by nonpolar solvents
 most important storage form of chemical energy in the body (mostly as long chain
triglycerides)

 fatty acids (hydrophobic) are used to make triglycerides – storage form or fats
 fatty acids are the amphipathic (part of molecule is hydrophilic, part of molecule is
hydrophobic) molecules that the adipocyte releases when we are fasting
 adipocyte breaks its triglycerides down and releases fatty acids and glycerol
 trigylcerides are composed of glycerol (water soluble) and three fatty acids (not very water
soluble)
 fatty acids are not very water soluble but they can bind to albumin
 an albumin molecule can bind two fatty acids and can thus transport them to various tissues
where they are used as very good fuels

A.) Types 1. Fatty Acids Structure:

(saturated, - building block components of most lipids
unsaturated, - long chain organic acids having from 4-24 carbon atoms made up of a singly carboxyl group
essential, non- and a long, non-polar hydrocarbon “tail”
essential, short - in humans they usually have an even number of carbons and are 16-20 carbon atoms in
chain, medium length
chain, long - may be saturated, or unsaturated (contain double bonds)
chain, cis, trans) - 20:4 = 2 carbon FA with 4 double bonds
- can exist in free form or esterfied to a glycerol

Degree of saturation:
- defined by the number of double bonds between the carbon atoms in the chain

a.) Saturated Fatty Acids:

- saturated fatty acids have all carbon molecules bound separately to either H or another C
- NO double bonds
- solid at room temperature

Sources:
- butter, animal fat, fish oil, coconut oil, cottonseed oil

b.) Unsaturated Fatty Acids:

- contain a carbon-carbon double bond
- occur naturally in cis form
- liquid at room temperature

Sources:
- monounsaturated  one double bond  in olive oil, canola oil, & avocados
- polyunsaturated  safflower oil, flax see oil, walnuts, evening primrose oil, animal fat,
cold water fish, and cod liver oil

c.) Essential Fatty Acids:

- gamma linoleic and alpha-linolenic = polyunsaturated fats that the human body cannot
manufacture
- All other FA’s are non-essential
- humans requires EFA in the diet to make eicosanoic FAs (prostaglandins, thromboxanes etc…)

Sources:
- linoleic acid from  evening primrose (best source), nuts, seeds, grains, & legumes
- alpha-linoleic acid  flax, candlenut, hemp, pumpkin, soy, walnut & rape seeds 1
d.) Short Chain Fatty Acids (SCFA’s)
- relatively simple organic compounds composed of only 2-6 carbon atoms