Expert in study
alarm
Ask
Biology
Franca Franca May 21, 2022

Lipid polymers are often created by numerous non-polar fatty acid chains with a polar head lined up. Which is the best explanation of the lipid structure.
Question options:

the polar head only lines up and touches the non-polar tail


the polar heads line up touching and the non-polar tails line up


there is no formation of a polymer lipid


the polar heads repel one another

answers: 1
Register to add an answer
The time for answering the question is over
Answer:

Polymers are macromolecules composed of similar monomers joint through chemical bonds. Lipids are not composed of similar basic units, so they are not considered to be polymers. There is no formation of a polymer lipid.  

------------------------------------------------

Together with proteins, carbohydrates, and nucleic acids, lipids are essential components of biological structures and are part of the biomolecules group.

When talking about polymers, we are referring to molecules composed of multiple similar units, the monomers. When many monomers join through chemical bonds, through the polymerization process, they form a polymer. These units do not need to be identical.

According to the polymer definition, polysaccharides, proteins, and nucleic acids are polymers. Lipids are not polymers because they are not composed of a repeated sequence of basic units.

Lipids are individual medium-sized molecules. There are different types of lipids: triacylglycerols, wax esters, phosphoglycerides, sphingolipids, and sterols.

According to their structure:

  • Simple lipids ⇒ Composed of an alcohol molecule and fatty acids.
  • Complex lipids ⇒ They are composed of alcohol, fatty acids, and different non-lipidic components, such as phosphates, amino acids, glucyds, amines, etcetera.  These are the amphipathic molecules.

Membrane lipids are amphipathic molecules with hydrophilic heads -negatively charged phosphate group- and hydrophobic tails. In membranes, they are arranged with their hydrophilic polar heads facing the exterior and the interior of the cells, while their hydrophobic tails are against each other, constituting the internal part of the membrane.

----------------------------------------

Related link:

                     

460
Ilya Ilya
May 21, 2022
For answers need to register.
Contacts
mail@expertinstudy.com
Feedback
Expert in study
About us
For new users
For new experts
Terms and Conditions