Chapter 2, Problem 13CT

Summary Introduction

To examine:

The fatty acid that may be the best to protect the membranes of an ice-dwelling bacterium.

Introduction:

Lipids are organic compounds containing carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen in ratio 1:2:1 (approximately) and in low amount phosphorus, sulfur or nitrogen. Lipids are included fatty acids, glycerides, steroids, phospholipids, and a glycolipid.

Fatty acids are long chains of hydrocarbons that are capped through a carboxyl functional group. Fatty acids are also termed as triglycerides because three fatty acids are joined to glycerol. Fatty acids differ with each other due to their presence and location of double bonds among carbon atoms. Saturated fatty acids contain only “single bonds” between their carbon atoms, while unsaturated fatty acids contain “double bonds” between carbon atoms.