BIOC 2580 Lecture Notes - Lecture 10: Coenzyme Q10, Signal Transduction, Chloroform

• School: University of Guelph
• Department: Biochemistry
• Course: BIOC 2580
• Professor: Enoka Wijekoon

Document Summary

Biological lipids are a structurally diverse group of molecules. They are not defined by their chemical structure, but by their common chemical property: hydrophobicity. We use organic solvents to dissolve lipids (typically a 2:1 mixture of chloroform and methanol) Energy storage (i. e. triacylglycerols fats and oils) Structural elements of biological membranes (i. e phospholipids and sterols) Signal transduction cell to cell communication (i. e. steroid hormones, prostaglandins) Enzyme cofactors (i. e. coenzyme q: mitochondrial electron transport chain) Lipids can occur covalently linked to other classes of molecules. Glycolipids contain both sugar and lipid portions: important constituents of cell membranes. Lipoproteins: plasma proteins that are associated with cardiovascular health and disease. In this course, we will look at: fatty acids. Building blocks of many complex lipids, central intermediates in metabolism but free fatty acids present in trace quantities: triacylglycerides. Carboxylic acids with hydrocarbon chains ranging from 4-36 carbons.