Lipids and Organic Compounds

Vocabulary flashcards generated from the lecture transcript covering the structure, types, and functions of lipids including triglycerides, phospholipids, and steroids.

Lipids

A category of organic compounds characterized by being insoluble in water, including fats (triglycerides), phospholipids, and steroids.

Triglyceride

A fat molecule consisting of a glycerol portion attached to three fatty acid chains, which serves as a secondary energy source in the human body.

Carboxyl Group

A chemical group indicated as $COOH$, consisting of a carbon double-bonded to an oxygen atom and attached to an $OH$ group, present in every fatty acid.

Saturated Fatty Acid

A fatty acid chain in which all of the carbon atoms are joined together through single bonds.

Unsaturated Fatty Acid

A fatty acid chain that contains one or more double bonds between its carbon atoms.

Unsaturated Fat

A fat molecule containing at least one double bond in its fatty acid chains, typically derived from plant sources and liquid at room temperature.

Saturated Fat

A fat molecule in which all carbon atoms in the fatty acid chains are joined by single bonds, typically derived from animal sources and solid at room temperature.

Atherosclerosis

The development of fatty plaques within arteries, associated with a diet high in saturated fats, which can contribute to hypertension, heart disease, and heart failure.

Phospholipid

A lipid molecule consisting of a glycerol portion, two fatty acid tails, and a phosphate group, forming the fundamental structural component of cell membranes.

Hydrophobic

Literally meaning afraid of water or water insoluble; describes the two fatty acid tails of a phospholipid molecule.

Hydrophilic

Literally meaning water loving or water soluble; describes the phosphate head portion of a phospholipid molecule.

Phospholipid Bilayer

A double layer of phospholipids arranged with hydrophilic phosphate heads facing the outside and inside of the cell and hydrophobic fatty acid tails in the middle.

Semi-permeable

The property of a cell membrane that allows it to control what substances move into and out of the cell.

Steroid

A category of lipids characterized by a core structure composed of connected rings of carbon atoms.

Cholesterol

A natural steroid in the body that helps maintain the normal structure of every single cell membrane.

Corticosteroids

A category of steroid-based hormones in the body that includes cortisol and aldosterone.