Lipids and Fatty Acids

30 vocabulary flashcards related to lipids and fatty acids.

Fatty Acid

Chains of hydrogen-bearing carbon atoms that terminate with carboxylic acid groups.

Saturated Fatty Acid

Fatty acids composed of only single bonds.

Unsaturated Fatty Acid

Fatty acids with one or more double or triple bonds.

Triacylglycerols

Storage form of fatty acids made up of three fatty acids attached to glycerol.

Phospholipid

Membrane lipids consisting of fatty acids attached to a scaffold bearing a phosphate group.

Glycolipid

Lipids bound to carbohydrates, functioning as important membrane constituents.

Steroid

A class of lipids that are polycyclic hydrocarbons and function as hormones.

Cholesterol

The most common steroid, acting as a vital membrane component that modulates fluidity.

Hydrophobic Effect

The driving force that leads to the formation of lipid bilayers in membranes.

Amphipathic Molecule

Molecules that contain both hydrophilic (polar) and hydrophobic (nonpolar) parts.

Eicosanoic Acid

Fatty acid derived from arachidonic acid, important in signaling.

Cis Double Bond

A type of double bond in unsaturated fatty acids that creates a bend in the hydrocarbon chain.

Trans Double Bond

A double bond in unsaturated fatty acids that maintains a linear structure.

Phosphatidylcholine

A major phosphoglyceride found in biological membranes.

Sphingomyelin

A sphingolipid commonly found in the membranes of nerve cells.

Cerebroside

The simplest glycolipid containing a single sugar residue.

Ganglioside

A complex glycolipid with a branched chain of sugar residues.

Fluid Mosaic Model

A model that describes the structure of cell membranes as a mosaic of various components.

Ion Channel

A type of protein that facilitates the rapid transport of ions across membranes.

Passive Transport

The movement of ions or molecules across a membrane without the use of energy.

Active Transport

The movement of ions or molecules against their concentration gradient, requiring energy.

Secondary Transporter

Membrane proteins that couple the movement of one molecule in the direction of its gradient to another's movement against its gradient.

Antiporter

A type of secondary transporter that moves substances in opposite directions across a membrane.

Symporter

A type of secondary transporter that moves substances in the same direction across a membrane.

Phospholipid Bilayer

A double layer of phospholipids that makes up the cellular membrane.

Integral Membrane Protein

Proteins that are embedded within the lipid bilayer of cell membranes.

Peripheral Membrane Protein

Proteins that are associated with the membrane but are not embedded within it.

Van der Waals Interactions

Attractive forces between molecules that contribute to the stability of lipid bilayers.

Ester Linkage

The bond formed between glycerol and fatty acids in triacylglycerols and phospholipids.

Hydrophilic Head Group

The part of a phospholipid molecule that is attracted to water.

Hydrophobic Tail

The part of a phospholipid molecule that repels water.

Membrane Fluidity

The viscosity of the lipid bilayer resulting from its composition and temperature.

Lipid Raft

Localized regions within membranes that concentrate specific proteins and lipids.

Saponification

The process of making soap, involving the hydrolysis of fats or oils.

Esterification

The formation of an ester, specifically, when fatty acids combine with alcohols.

Cis-Trans Isomerism

The presence of different configurations around a double bond in fatty acids.

Niemann–Pick Disease

A genetic disorder resulting from sphingomyelin accumulation in cells.

Hydrophobic Channel

A structural feature of certain proteins that allows hydrophobic molecules to pass through membranes.