3.1.3 Lipids
Unit 1: Biomolecules
3.1.3 Lipids
Key Notes

Name: ____________________

Hydrocarbons | Molecules that only contain hydrogen and carbon atoms. |
Triglyceride | A lipid made of a glycerol molecule bonded to 3 fatty acid molecules. |
Fatty acids | A carboxylic acid group joined to a hydrocarbon tail. Tail can be of varying length. |
Saturated fatty acid | A fatty acid that does not contain any double bonds between carbon atoms. The maximum number of possible hydrogens are bonded to the fatty acid. |
Unsaturated fatty acid | A fatty acid that contains 1 or more double bonds between carbon atoms. |
Ester bond | The bond that forms between a glycerol and fatty acid in a condensation reaction. |
Condensation reaction | A reaction in which a bond is formed, releasing a water molecule. |
Phospholipid | A lipid made of a phosphate group, glycerol molecule and 2 fatty acids. |
Bilayer | A double-layered structure that forms from phospholipids, forming membranes in cells. The hydrophilic phosphate heads point outwards whilst the hydrophobic fatty acid tails point inwards. |
Hydrophilic | Attracts water. |
Hydrophobic | Repels water. |
Emulsion test | A test using ethanol, shaking and then water to identify the presence of a lipid. A positive result is a milky-white emulsion forming. |
- The elements contained in lipids are carbon, hydrogen and oxygen.
- Lipids are individual molecules, NOT polymers. They are not made up from repeating monomers.
- They are made of different individual molecules (glycerol, fatty acids, and in the case of phospholipids a phosphate group).
- Lipids are a large and varied group of non-polar molecules that are insoluble in water, but dissolve easily in organic solvents, like alcohols and acetone.
- They form the main part of cell membranes, are a source of energy (they store twice the amount of energy per gram compared to carbohydrates) They can also provide a waterproof layer, insulation and protection around major organs.
- Fats and oils are lipids. Fats are solid at room temperature and oils are liquid at room temperature.

Triglycerides
- Triglycerides are made up of one molecule of glycerol and 3 fatty acids attached to it.
- Glycerol has 3 hydroxyl groups (-OH), each of which can combine with a fatty acid forming a triglyceride.
- The formation of a triglyceride is a condensation reaction resulting in the production of 3 molecules of water.
- The bonds formed between the –OH groups of the glycerol and the -COOH of the fatty acids are called ester bonds (strong covalent bonds).
Diagrams of triglycerides: |
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The formation of a triglyceride.
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Triglycerides have many biological roles such as energy storage, insulation (electrical and heat) and protection. The structure of triglycerides are well suited to their functions:
Structure of triglycerides | Function of triglycerides |
They have a high ratio of energy storing carbon-hydrogen bonds to carbon atoms (long fatty acid tails) – contain lots of chemical energy | Energy storage. |
They have a low mass to energy ratio | Makes them good storage molecules because so much energy can be stored in a small volume (contain about twice as much energy per gram as carbs). |
They are large, non-polar molecules, insoluble in water. | They have no osmotic effect and do not affect the water potential in cells. They can clump together in insoluble droplets (hydrophobic tails facing inwards). |
Fatty Acids
- Fatty acids are organic compounds that have the general formula CH3(CH2)nCOOH , where n usually ranges from 2 to 28 and is always an even number.
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- The general formula for a fatty acid can be written as RCOOH.
- Fatty acids are made up of a carboxylic acid group (-COOH) and a long hydrocarbon chain of varying length.
- Fatty acids are hydrophobic which means they repel water.
- All fatty acids have same basic structure, but their hydrocarbon tails can vary (variable ‘R’ group).
- The hydrocarbon chain of a fatty acid can be unsaturated or saturated.
- The thing that fatty acids are saturated with is hydrogen; in a saturated fat, as many hydrogen atoms as possible are attached to the carbon skeleton.
Saturated fatty acid |
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![]() No double bonds between C atoms | ![]() One or more double bonds between C atoms |
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Phospholipids
Phospholipids are specialised lipids that are similar to triglycerides but one of the fatty acids is substituted for a phosphate group.
Phospholipids | Triglyceride |
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A phospholipid has a hydrophobic part and a hydrophilic part.
Phospholipids are composed of:
- a hydrophilic head (attracts water) which consists of the glycerol and phosphate.
2 hydrophobic fatty acid tails (repel water). Remember these can be saturated or unsaturated and are insoluble in water because the fatty acids are non-polar.
When multiple phospholipids come together in water, they form a bilayer. These phospholipid bilayers are what make up cell membranes (more on this later in Unit 2).
The structure of phospholipids is well suited to their function as forming cell membranes:
Structure of phospholipids | Function of phospholipids |
Hydrophilic heads and hydrophobic tail | Can form a double layer (bilayer) with heads facing out towards water on each side. |
Centre of the cell membrane bilayer is hydrophobic | Water-soluble substances can’t pass through easily (forms a barrier). |
Test for lipids
The test for lipids is known as the ethanol emulsion test;
- Using a completely dry clean test tube add ethanol to the sample to be tested.
Shake thoroughly to dissolve any lipid in the sample.
- Add water to the sample and shake gently.
A positive result for the presence of lipids using this test is a milky white colour/emulsion.
This happens because the ethanol (alcohol) dissolves lipids.
(Note, you must not say a precipitate / cloudy emulsion).