Oleic acid is what type of lipid

Note that each of these molecules has a nonpolar hydrocarbon chain, the "tail", and a polar often ionic "head group". The use of such compounds as cleaning agents is facilitated by their surfactant character, which lowers the surface tension of water, allowing it to penetrate and wet a variety of materials. Very small amounts of these surfactants dissolve in water to give a random dispersion of solute molecules.

However, when the concentration is increased an interesting change occurs. The surfactant molecules reversibly assemble into polymolecular aggregates called micelles. By gathering the hydrophobic chains together in the center of the micelle, disruption of the hydrogen bonded structure of liquid water is minimized, and the polar head groups extend into the surrounding water where they participate in hydrogen bonding.

These micelles are often spherical in shape, but may also assume cylindrical and branched forms, as illustrated on the right. Here the polar head group is designated by a blue circle, and the nonpolar tail is a zig-zag black line. An animated display of micelle formation is presented below. Notice the brownish material in the center of the three-dimensional drawing on the left.

This illustrates a second important factor contributing to the use of these amphiphiles as cleaning agents. Micelles are able to encapsulate nonpolar substances such as grease within their hydrophobic center, and thus solubilize it so it is removed with the wash water.

Since the micelles of anionic amphiphiles have a negatively charged surface, they repel one another and the nonpolar dirt is effectively emulsified. To summarize, the presence of a soap or a detergent in water facilitates the wetting of all parts of the object to be cleaned, and removes water-insoluble dirt by incorporation in micelles.

If the animation has stopped, it may be restarted by clicking on it. The oldest amphiphilic cleaning agent known to humans is soap. Soap is manufactured by the base-catalyzed hydrolysis saponification of animal fat see below.

Before sodium hydroxide was commercially available, a boiling solution of potassium carbonate leached from wood ashes was used. Soft potassium soaps were then converted to the harder sodium soaps by washing with salt solution.

The importance of soap to human civilization is documented by history, but some problems associated with its use have been recognized. One of these is caused by the weak acidity pK a ca. Solutions of alkali metal soaps are slightly alkaline pH 8 to 9 due to hydrolysis. If the pH of a soap solution is lowered by acidic contaminants, insoluble fatty acids precipitate and form a scum. A second problem is caused by the presence of calcium and magnesium salts in the water supply hard water.

These divalent cations cause aggregation of the micelles, which then deposit as a dirty scum. These problems have been alleviated by the development of synthetic amphiphiles called detergents or syndets. By using a much stronger acid for the polar head group, water solutions of the amphiphile are less sensitive to pH changes. Also the sulfonate functions used for virtually all anionic detergents confer greater solubility on micelles incorporating the alkaline earth cations found in hard water.

Variations on the amphiphile theme have led to the development of other classes, such as the cationic and nonionic detergents shown above. Cationic detergents often exhibit germicidal properties, and their ability to change surface pH has made them useful as fabric softeners and hair conditioners.

These versatile chemical "tools" have dramatically transformed the household and personal care cleaning product markets over the past fifty years.

The triesters of fatty acids with glycerol 1,2,3-trihydroxypropane compose the class of lipids known as fats and oils. These triglycerides or triacylglycerols are found in both plants and animals, and compose one of the major food groups of our diet.

Triglycerides that are solid or semisolid at room temperature are classified as fats, and occur predominantly in animals. Those triglycerides that are liquid are called oils and originate chiefly in plants, although triglycerides from fish are also largely oils.

Some examples of the composition of triglycerides from various sources are given in the following table. As might be expected from the properties of the fatty acids, fats have a predominance of saturated fatty acids, and oils are composed largely of unsaturated acids. Thus, the melting points of triglycerides reflect their composition, as shown by the following examples.

Since fats are valued over oils by some Northern European and North American populations, vegetable oils are extensively converted to solid triglycerides e. Crisco by partial hydrogenation of their unsaturated components. Some of the remaining double bonds are isomerized to trans in this operation. These saturated and trans-fatty acid glycerides in the diet have been linked to long-term health issues such as atherosclerosis.

Triglycerides having three identical acyl chains, such as tristearin and triolein above , are called "simple", while those composed of different acyl chains are called "mixed". The hydrogenation of vegetable oils to produce semisolid products has had unintended consequences. Although the hydrogenation imparts desirable features such as spreadability, texture, "mouth feel," and increased shelf life to naturally liquid vegetable oils, it introduces some serious health problems.

These occur when the cis-double bonds in the fatty acid chains are not completely saturated in the hydrogenation process. The catalysts used to effect the addition of hydrogen isomerize the remaining double bonds to their trans configuration. These unnatural trans-fats appear to to be associated with increased heart disease, cancer, diabetes and obesity, as well as immune response and reproductive problems.

Waxes are esters of fatty acids with long chain monohydric alcohols one hydroxyl group. Natural waxes are often mixtures of such esters, and may also contain hydrocarbons.

The formulas for three well known waxes are given below, with the carboxylic acid moiety colored red and the alcohol colored blue. Waxes are widely distributed in nature. The leaves and fruits of many plants have waxy coatings, which may protect them from dehydration and small predators. The feathers of birds and the fur of some animals have similar coatings which serve as a water repellent.

Carnuba wax is valued for its toughness and water resistance. Phospholipids are the main constituents of cell membranes. They resemble the triglycerides in being ester or amide derivatives of glycerol or sphingosine with fatty acids and phosphoric acid.

The phosphate moiety of the resulting phosphatidic acid is further esterified with ethanolamine, choline or serine in the phospholipid itself. The following diagram shows the structures of some of these components.

Clicking on the diagram will change it to display structures for two representative phospholipids. To see a model of a phospholipid Click Here. As ionic amphiphiles, phospholipids aggregate or self-assemble when mixed with water, but in a different manner than the soaps and detergents. Because of the two pendant alkyl chains present in phospholipids and the unusual mixed charges in their head groups, micelle formation is unfavorable relative to a bilayer structure.

If a phospholipid is smeared over a small hole in a thin piece of plastic immersed in water, a stable planar bilayer of phospholipid molecules is created at the hole. As shown in the following diagram, the polar head groups on the faces of the bilayer contact water, and the hydrophobic alkyl chains form a nonpolar interior. The phospholipid molecules can move about in their half the bilayer, but there is a significant energy barrier preventing migration to the other side of the bilayer.

To see an enlarged segment of a phospholipid bilayer Click Here. This bilayer membrane structure is also found in aggregate structures called liposomes. Liposomes are microscopic vesicles consisting of an aqueous core enclosed in one or more phospholipid layers.

They are formed when phospholipids are vigorously mixed with water. Unlike micelles, liposomes have both aqueous interiors and exteriors. A cell may be considered a very complex liposome. The bilayer membrane that separates the interior of a cell from the surrounding fluids is largely composed of phospholipids, but it incorporates many other components, such as cholesterol, that contribute to its structural integrity.

Protein channels that permit the transport of various kinds of chemical species in and out of the cell are also important components of cell membranes. A very nice dynamic display of the gramicidin channel has been created by a collaboration of Canadian, French, Spanish and US scientists, and may be examined by Clicking Here. The interior of a cell contains a variety of structures organelles that conduct chemical operations vital to the cells existence.

Molecules bonded to the surfaces of cells serve to identify specific cells and facilitate interaction with external chemical entities. The sphingomyelins are also membrane lipids. They are the major component of the myelin sheath surrounding nerve fibers. Multiple Sclerosis is a devastating disease in which the myelin sheath is lost, causing eventual paralysis. The members of this group of structurally related natural hormones have an extraordinary range of biological effects.

They can lower gastric secretions, stimulate uterine contractions, lower blood pressure, influence blood clotting and induce asthma-like allergic responses. Because their genesis in body tissues is tied to the metabolism of the essential fatty acid arachadonic acid 5,8,11,eicosatetraenoic acid they are classified as eicosanoids. Many properties of the common drug aspirin result from its effect on the cascade of reactions associated with these hormones.

The metabolic pathways by which arachidonic acid is converted to the various eicosanoids are complex and will not be discussed here. A rough outline of some of the transformations that take place is provided below. It is helpful to view arachadonic acid in the coiled conformation shown in the shaded box.

Leukotriene A is a precursor to other leukotriene derivatives by epoxide opening reactions. The prostaglandins are given systematic names that reflect their structure. The initially formed peroxide PGH 2 is a common intermediate to other prostaglandins, as well as thromboxanes such as TXA 2.

Compounds classified as terpenes constitute what is arguably the largest and most diverse class of natural products. A majority of these compounds are found only in plants, but some of the larger and more complex terpenes e.

Terpenes incorporating most of the common functional groups are known, so this does not provide a useful means of classification. Instead, the number and structural organization of carbons is a definitive characteristic. Terpenes may be considered to be made up of isoprene more accurately isopentane units, an empirical feature known as the isoprene rule. Because of this, terpenes usually have 5n carbon atoms n is an integer , and are subdivided as follows:.

Classification Isoprene Units. Isoprene itself, a C 5 H 8 gaseous hydrocarbon, is emitted by the leaves of various plants as a natural byproduct of plant metabolism. Next to methane it is the most common volatile organic compound found in the atmosphere.

Examples of C 10 and higher terpenes, representing the four most common classes are shown in the following diagram. The initial display is of monoterpenes; larger terpenes will be shown by clicking the " Toggle Structures " button under the diagram. Most terpenes may be structurally dissected into isopentane segments. To see how this is done click directly on the structures in the diagram.

The isopentane units in most of these terpenes are easy to discern, and are defined by the shaded areas. In the case of the monoterpene camphor, the units overlap to such a degree it is easier to distinguish them by coloring the carbon chains. This is also done for alpha-pinene. In the case of the triterpene lanosterol we see an interesting deviation from the isoprene rule. This thirty carbon compound is clearly a terpene, and four of the six isopentane units can be identified.

However, the ten carbons in center of the molecule cannot be dissected in this manner. Evidence exists that the two methyl groups circled in magenta and light blue have moved from their original isoprenoid locations marked by small circles of the same color to their present location. This rearrangement is described in the biosynthesis section. Similar alkyl group rearrangements account for other terpenes that do not strictly follow the isoprene rule.

To see a model of the monoterpene camphor Click Here. Polymeric isoprenoid hydrocarbons have also been identified. Rubber is undoubtedly the best known and most widely used compound of this kind. It occurs as a colloidal suspension called latex in a number of plants, ranging from the dandelion to the rubber tree Hevea brasiliensis. Bromine, hydrogen chloride and hydrogen all add with a stoichiometry of one molar equivalent per isoprene unit.

Pyrolysis of rubber produces the diene isoprene along with other products. The double bonds in rubber all have a Z -configuration, which causes this macromolecule to adopt a kinked or coiled conformation. This is reflected in the physical properties of rubber.

Despite its high molecular weight about one million , crude latex rubber is a soft, sticky, elastic substance. Chemical modification of this material is normal for commercial applications.

Gutta-percha structure above is a naturally occurring E -isomer of rubber. Here the hydrocarbon chains adopt a uniform zig-zag or rod like conformation, which produces a more rigid and tough substance.

Uses of gutta-percha include electrical insulation and the covering of golf balls. To see a model of the rubber chain Click Here. The important class of lipids called steroids are actually metabolic derivatives of terpenes, but they are customarily treated as a separate group. May cause eye, skin, or respiratory system irritation. Monounsaturated omega-9 fats like the oleic acid listed above, are not healthy for our skin when applied topically.

The major characteristic of a high- oleic oil is that it takes forever to absorb. Oleic acid can be found naturally in numerous food sources, including edible oils, meat such as beef, chicken, and pork , cheese, nuts, sunflower seeds, eggs, pasta, milk, olives, and avocados.

Avocados These green fruits are packed full of monounsaturated fats called oleic acid. What are the health benefits of omega - 9 fatty acids? The major fatty acids in olive oil triacylglycerols are: Oleic Acid C , a monounsaturated omega-9 fatty acid. Palmitic Acid C , a saturated fatty acid that makes up 7. Remember that high oleic acid is another term for saying high in monounsaturated fats — the heart healthy fats that are better for your body than both polyunsaturated and saturated fats.

So not only do these oils help you save money and run more efficiently, but they are also better for your customers' health. Improves Heart Health: By decreasing blood cholesterol levels and affecting insulin, blood pressure and blood vessels, oleic acid can help to prevent heart disease and other related heart conditions.

Olive oil is widely known to be high in monounsaturated good fat. It contains zero trans bad fat and is lower in saturated bad fat than other commonly used ingredients such as shortening and butter. Simply put, olive oil is one of the best ways to add good fat to your diet and avoid bad fat.

It is a long-chain carboxylic acid ; its molecule contains one double bond between C 9 and C 10 with the cis configuration. Sucrose has 8 OH groups that are polar and can link to water molecules which are polar as well. On the contrary, oleic acid has only one polar group attached to a long non-polar hydrophobic chain of C and H atoms. As a matter of fact oleic acid is not soluble in water. Linoleic acid form of omega-6 is an integral part of the epidermis outer layer of skin , which helps to keep the skin hydrated.

It's crucial for treating and preventing acne , as people with acne have low levels of it in their skin. Is oleic acid covalent? Category: science chemistry. As for covalent or Ionic, Oleic acid is entirely comprised of covalent bonds. But the molecule, even in its ionic form, is still entirely put together with covalent bonds. Is oleic acid healthy? Is oleic acid dangerous? Is oleic acid bad for skin?