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Lipids are a heterogeneous collection of compounds that share only one property: they are easily dissolved in organic solvents but can only hardly or not at all be dissolved in water. They include fats and oils, phospholipids, steroids, glycolipids, and waxes. The basic units for fat are fatty acids either saturated (in solid | ||
Figure 11-09 Fatty Acids | Figure 11-10 Fat [view large image] |
form) or unsaturated (in liquid form, the good one to prevent the deposits of cholesterol and fat on the lining of blood vessels; unsaturated compounds can undergo |
Phospholipids, as their name implies, contain a phosphate group PO4-. Essentially, phospholipids are constructed as fats are, except that in place of the third fatty acid, there is a phosphate group or a grouping that contains both phosphate and nitrogen (Figure 11-11). These molecules are not electrically neutral as are the fats because the phosphate group can be ionized. | |
Figure 11-11 Phospholipids [view large image] |
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Table 11-01 Properties of Waxes |