Lipids - Retrieval Questions 1

What type of molecules are phospholipids?

Lipids

Why are phospholipids not considered to be polymers?

Because they are not composed of monomers.

What type of molecules are lipids?

They are large complex molecules / macromolecules.

What can pass through the membrane of the phospholipid bilayer?

Small, non-polar molecules like oxygen and carbon dioxide.

What are the roles of the phospholipid bilayers?

They control what substances enter and exit the cell.
Electrical insulation.

What is the phospholipid bilayer?

A thin polar membrane made of two layers of phospholipid molecules.

Why is the fatty acid tails hydrophobic ?

Because they are non-polar and they don't have a charge.

What type of bonds do phospholipids have?

Ester

What are the two main types of lipids?

Triglycerides
Phospholids

Describe the structure of phospholipids.

1 Glycerol
2 Fatty acids
1 Phosphate molecule

What is a hydrophillic molecule?

A molecule that is attracted to water due to it having a charge

What type of bonds do triglycerides have?

Ester

What is the structure of the phospholipid bilayers?

The hydrophilic heads form two rows on the outside while the hydrophobic tails are sheltered in the middle.

How is the membrane partially permiable?

Because it allows non-polar molecules enter and leave.

What is a micelle?

A monolayer of phospholipids.
The outside is hydrophilic (as the head face the outside) and the inside is hydrophobic (because the tails face inside).

What is the middle like of the phospholipid bilayer?

The area in the middle is a non-aqueous environment.

What is the tail of a phospholipid made of?

The fatty acid chains.

What does the partial-permeability of the membrane allow?

It allows it to act as an electrical insulator

What is the role of phospholipids?

They have a structural role in cell membranes.

What are lipids?

Organic molecules