Unit 1 · 1.5 — Lipids [cite: 9, 24]

Everything to learn here

• Concept: Lipids are largely nonpolar and hydrophobic molecules that do not form true linear polymers [cite: 11, 14, 21].
• Concept: Phospholipids are unique because they contain a hydrophilic phosphate head and two hydrophobic fatty acid tails [cite: 14, 18, 21].
• Vocabulary: Triglyceride — a lipid constructed from three fatty acid molecules covalently bonded to a single glycerol molecule [cite: 13, 14].
• Vocabulary: Saturated Fatty Acid — a fatty acid with no double bonds between carbon atoms, allowing tight packing (solid at room temperature) [cite: 11, 13].
• Vocabulary: Unsaturated Fatty Acid — a fatty acid containing one or more double bonds, preventing tight packing (liquid at room temperature) [cite: 11, 13].
• Vocabulary: Amphipathic — a molecule possessing distinct hydrophilic and hydrophobic regions, dictating its structural folding in water [cite: 14].
• Skill: FRQ Task Verb "Predict" — Predict how phospholipids will self-assemble when placed in highly polar versus highly nonpolar environments [cite: 19, 22].
• Concept: Lipids are nonpolar, hydrophobic molecules containing fatty acids classified as saturated (single bonds) or unsaturated (double bonds).
• Concept: Lipids serve diverse roles including energy storage in fats, hormonal signaling in steroids, and membrane structure in phospholipids.

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