Biochem The End

Front 1

What is the property of lipids that allow them to be seperated from most other cellular components and how can this property be exploited?

Back 1

lipids are a diverse grp of cmpds whose defining property is there HYDROPHOBICITY (insoluble in water) This can be exploited by using organic slvnts like chloroform to extract lipids from more soluble cell cmpnts such as proteins, carbs, na, and their lo mw precursors

Front 2

structure and major properties and uses of biological waxes

Back 2

waxes are formed by ester linkage between a long chain alcohol and a long chain fa. as mostly saturated hydrocarbons they store a lot of energy and have really hi melting pts. They are firm at room temp and repel water. they can be used in lotions, ointments, and polishes for making molds

Front 3

how do glycerophospholipeds differ from triacylglycerols and how does this contribute to their membrain forming abilities?

Back 3

In contrast to triacylglycerols, glycerophospholipids (also called phosphoglycerides) have large polar head groups that enable them to organize into sheets with the polar head groups facing (and interacting with) water and the hydrophobic hydrocarbon chains interacting with each other in a layer sequestered from the water. The bilayer structure of a biological membrane results from two such sheets lining up with their hydrophobic regions facing each other and then closing up on themselves to eliminate any free edges.

Front 4

Compare and contrast the structures phosphatidylcholine and sphingomyelin.

Back 4

Phosphatidylcholine and sphingomyelin share in common a phosphorylcholine head group. Phosphatidylcholine is a glycerophospholipid (i.e., the head group is attached to the 3-position of glycerol and fatty acids are esterified to the 1- and 2-positions) where sphingomyelin is a sphingolipid (i.e., the head group is attached to a hydroxyl group on ceramide, which is formed by linking a fatty acid chain in amide linkage to the amino alcohol sphingosine).

Front 5

What is another name for phosphatidylcholine?

Back 5

Lecithin (I might have neglected to mention this in class— in technical literature, lecithin is another name for phosphatidylcholine, but the term is used more loosely in describing nutritional supplements or food additives, where it indicates a mixture of phospholipids that may include phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylinositol, and phosphatidic acid.)