The Lipids: Fats &

Oils

Ms. K. Malisa; BSc. Biological

Sciences, PGD M&E, MPH
Lesson Objectives
l Describe the nature of lipids as fats, oils and
waxes
l Discuss the functions of lipids in the human
body
l Demonstrate formation of triglycerides via
condensation reactions
l Explain the difference between saturated and
unsaturated fats
l Explain the role of lipids in cell membrane
structure
What are Lipids?
l Lipids are a heterogeneous group of
hydrophobic (water-insoluble) molecules that
can be extracted from tissues by non-polar
solvents
l Comprise the same major elements as
carbohydrates (C,H,O) but in varying
proportions
l Soluble in non-polar solvents such as benzene,
acetone and chloroform
What are Lipids Cont’d?
l Lipids include;
– Triglycerides (fats & oils)
l Fats: lipids that are solid at room
temperature
l Oils: lipids that are liquid at room
temperature
– Waxes
– Phospholipids
– Sterols (cholesterol).
 Classification of Lipids
1. )SIMPLE LIPIDS; Esters of fatty acids with various
alcohols e.g.
-Fats; esters of fatty acids with glycerol
-Oils are fats in liquid state.
-Waxes; esters of fatty acids with long chain alcohols
(12-32 carbon atoms) that have one –OH group
(monohydric)
2). COMPLEX LIPIDS
-Esters of fatty acids containing groups in addition to an
alcohol and a fatty acid e.g. phospholipids are lipids
containing fatty acids, an alcohol and phosphoric acid
Classes of Lipids Cont’d

2.) Complex Lipids Cont’d

-Glycosphingolipids: Lipids containing a fatty
acid, sphingosine, and carbohydrate
-Other complex lipids such as sulfolipids, amino
lipids, Lipoproteins may also be placed in this
category.
Functions of Lipids
A. The Functions of Fat in the Body
l Energy source esp. for muscles
l Serves as an energy reserve (store)
l 1 pound body fat (0.45kg) contains 3500 kcal
l Excess fats taken into the body are
stored in adipose tissue to be used
at a later time.
Functions of Fat In the Body Cont’d

l Structural materials of cells and cell

membranes
l Nourishes skin & hair (oil)
l Insulates the body from temperature
extremes
l Cushion the vital organs to protect them
from shock
l Play major role in the control of the body’s
homeostasis (prostaglandins +steroid
hormones)
B. The Functions of Fat in Food

l Provide calories (9 per

gram)
l Provide satiety
l Carry fat-soluble
vitamins & essential
fatty acids
l Contribute aroma &
flavor
 Triglycerides
l Triglycerides: the major class of dietary
lipids, including fats & oils
– Made up of 3 units known as fatty acids
and 1 unit called glycerol (backbone)
– Comprise about 95% of lipids in food and
the human body
-Insoluble in water but soluble in organic
solvents such as ethanol, chloroform &
ether
 Triglyceride Composition:
(a) Fatty Acids

l Series of acids found in lipids (basic units of fats)

l Comprise a hydrocarbon chain (tail) attached to an
acidic group –COOH (head)
l Tails may have no double bonds i.e. carry maximum
number of hydrogen atoms (saturated)
l Or may have double bonds ( –C=C-) between
neighboring carbon atoms; these are said to be
unsaturated (one or more hydrogens are missing)
l One double bond=monounsaturated (MUFA)
l More than one double bond=poly-unsaturated (PUFA)
 Triglyceride Composition:
(a) Fatty Acids Cont’d
l Animal lipids are often saturated and occur as
fats
l Saturated fatty acids have a higher melting
point than unsaturated fatty acids
l Molecules are more closely packed together in
s a t u ra t e d f a t t y a c i d s re s u l t i n g i n c l o s e r
molecular interactions hence higher melting
points
l Plant lipids are often unsaturated and occur as
oils (e.g. sunflower oil/ olive oil)
 Cont’d
l Monounsaturat
ed fatty acid:
also called a
MUFA; -Found
mostly in
vegetable oils
such as olive,
canola &
peanut
 Cont’d
l Polyunsaturated fatty
acids: also called a
PUFA; Found in nuts,
vegetable oils such as
safflower, sunflower
and soybean, and in
fatty fish
 Characteristics of
Fats in Foods

A. Liquid vs Solid
l More saturated a fat is, the
more solid it is at room
temperature
l More unsaturated a fat is, the
more liquid it is at room
temperature
 ESSENTIAL AND NON
ESSENTIAL FATTY ACIDS

l If a fatty acid can only be obtained from the diet (for humans)
then the fatty acid is an essential fatty acid (EFA).
l The body can synthesize all of the fatty acids it needs from
carbohydrates, fat or protein except for two;
l These are linoleic and linolenic fatty acids, which are both
polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) derived from vegetable
oils and fish.
l Functions of EFA; maintenance of healthy cell membranes,
assist in development of brain & nervous system, help in
production of hormone-like substances, aid homeostasis and
immune system function
 Omega - 6 versus Omega - 3
Omega – 6
l Linoleic
l Plant oils
l Important component of cell
membranes
l Keeps skin impermeable to water
Omega – 3
l Linolenic
l Cold water fish
l Help dissolve blood clots
l Lower blood pressure
l Dilate the arteries
 Essential and non essential
fatty acids

l Nonessential fatty acids can be made by the

human body and so do not need to be obtained
from diet alone.
l These are made from carbohydrates and proteins
or from other fatty acids.
l Examples of non-essential fatty acids include
stearic, palmitic, oleic, lauric
l Functions of non-essential fatty acids; lower bad
cholesterol, increase good cholesterol, control
blood sugar e.g. omega 9 fatty acids
 Essential and non essential
fatty acids

l Fatty acids are an important source of energy.

l While carbohydrates or proteins only provide 4
kcal/g of energy, fatty acids provide more than
twice the energy per unit weight of 9 kcal/ g. This is
one reason why a high-fat diet can lead to obesity.
 Triglyceride Composition:
(b) Glycerol

l Glycerol is an alcohol with

three hydroxyl groups
l Systematic name: propane -
1,2,3-triol
l Clear, colorless, viscous,
sweet tasting
 Formation of a Triglyceride

l A glyceride is an ester formed by a fatty acid

combining with the alcohol glycerol
l Glycerol has 3 hydroxyl groups
l In the formation of a triglyceride, the 3 hydroxyl
groups of one glycerol molecule each combine
with the carboxyl groups of 3 fatty acids to form
an ester linkages
l This condensation reaction results in the
release of three molecules of water
Triglycerides are formed by condensation reactions
between glycerol and 3 fatty acids
 ROLE OF TRIGLYCERIDES

l Triglycerides can be used for energy storage in

animals. This food reserve can be called upon
during periods of starvation, with the high-
calorie content of the fatty acids adding to the
value of storing fat and providing much needed
energy.
l In addition, triglycerides can provide insulation
for animals in the form of body fat, which allows
them to survive in colder temperatures
 HYDROGENATION

A. Hydrogenation
l The process of adding hydrogen to
unsaturated fat to make it more solid
and more resistant to chemical changes
such as spoiling (rotting)
l Increasing a fat’s saturation can cause a
fat to lose its unsaturated health
benefits
 Waxes
l Waxes: Waxes are part of the lipid family. Waxes are esters of
long-chain saturated and unsaturated fatty acids with long-chain
monohydric alcohol (having 12-32carbon atoms).

l Waxes are low- melting, stable solids which appear in nature in

both plants and animals.
l A wax coat protects surface of many plant leaves from water
loss and attack by microorganisms.
l Waxes also coat skin, hairs and feathers, and help keep them
pliable and water-proof
l Examples; Carnauba wax, a major ingredients of car wax and
floor polish, comes from the leaves of a South American palm
tree.
l Beeswax; natural wax produced by honey bees (ester of myricyl
alcohol and palmitic acid)
 Beeswax

The term ‘wax’ originates in the Old English word weax,

meaning the “material of the honeycomb”.
 Phospholipids
l Lipids consisting of a water-soluble head
and a fat-soluble tail
l Consist of a glycerol molecule, two fatty
acids, and a phosphate group
l The phosphate group is the negatively-
charged polar head, which is hydrophilic.
l The fatty acid chains are the uncharged,
nonpolar tails, which are hydrophobic.
Phospholipid Structure
 Phospholipids Cont’d

l Component of cell membranes due to their

amphipathic nature which allows them to form
little bags/compartments in which chemicals
and sub-cellular organelles can be isolated
l Also serve as emulsifiers (allow fats and water
to mix and travel in and out of cells into watery
fluid on both sides)
 Sterols (Steroids)

l Steroids are a family of lipids found in plants

and animal
l A steroid contains four fused carbon ring: 17
carbon atoms make the structural unit of
steroids known as steroid nucleus.
l Cholesterol -one of the sterols
l Manufactured in the body for a variety of
purposes
 Cholesterol – A Sterol
l Relatively small molecule found mainly in animal
cells
l Also made & used in the body:
– Component of cell membranes
– Used to make bile for digestion
l Bile: a mixture of compounds, made by the
liver, stored in the gallbladder, & secreted
into the small intestine
lE m u l s i f i e s l i p i d s t o p r e p a r e t h e m f o r
enzymatic digestion & helps transport them
into the intestinal wall cells
 Cholesterol Cont’d
l Used to make the sex hormones
estrogen & testosterone
l Made into vitamin D with the help of
sunlight
l Excess cholesterol is deposited in the
artery walls leading to plaque buildup &
heart disease
Cholestorol (membrane sterol)
 Specific Roles of Lipids in Cell
Membranes

• The fundamental component of a biological

membrane is lipid bilayer
• Membrane lipids include
– Phospholipids
– Glycolipids
– Cholesterol
 Specific Roles of Lipids in Cell
Membranes
l Membrane lipids are
amphipathic
l Hydrophilic heads (polar)
form hydrogen bonds with
water
l Hydrophobic tails (non-
polar) are excluded by
water molecules
 Role of Phospholipids in Cell
Membranes
l Phospholipids are the main lipid constituents of
cell membranes
l There are two rows of phospholipids in a cell
membrane, that they are arranged like a
sandwich.
l Their nonpolar tails, which are hydrophobic
move to the center, while their polar heads,
which are hydrophilic align on the outer edge of
the membrane
l Double role of phospholipids=Lipid bilayer
 Role of Phospholipids in Cell
Membranes Cont’d

l Most of the phospholipids in the lipid bilayer

contain unsaturated fatty acids.
l Due to the kinks in the carbon chains the
phospholipids do not fit closely together.
l As a result, the lipid bilayer is not a rigid, fixed
structure, but one that is dynamic and fluid-like
hence the term fluid mosaic model.
Fluid Mosaic Model of The Cell
Membrane
 Role of Glycolipids in Cell
Membranes

l Some carbohydrates in the cell membrane are

attached to lipids (glycolipids)
l These act as receptor molecules which bind
with particular substances at the cell surface
e.g. hormones & neurotransmitters
l They are part of the signaling system of the cell
and are responsible for coordinating all the
activities of the cell
l Also responsible for cell-cell recognition
 Role of Cholesterol in Cell
Membranes

l Cell surface membranes contain almost as

much cholesterol as phospholipids
l Cholesterol imparts rigidity to cell membrane.
The higher the % of cholesterol, the more rigid
the membrane.
l Without cholesterol, the membranes would
break and burst open
 Role of Cholesterol in Cell
Membranes Cont’d

l However, at lower temperatures, cholesterol

increases the fluidity of the membrane
preventing it from becoming too rigid
l This is because it prevents close packing of
phospholipid tails
l Increased fluidity means that cells can survive
cold temperatures
l Hydrophobic regions of cholesterol also
prevent ions or polar molecules from passing
through the membrane
THE END