Chapter 12 biochem

A phosphoglyceride molecule is composed of

A glycerol backbone, two fatty acids, a phosphate group and an alcohol

How do the melting points of saturated fatty acids change with the length of the hydrocarbon tail?

As the length of the hydrocarbon tail in the fatty acid decreases, the melting point decreases

Predict which of the following fatty acids has the highest melting point

CH3(CH2)14COOH

Which type of chemical linkage is used to join fatty acids to glycerol?

Ester linkage

Hydropathy plots are useful to

Identify possible membrane spanning a-helices

Choose the correct statement

Lipid-bilayer membranes have a very low permeability for ions and most polar molecules

For fatty acids with the same number of carbon atoms, how does the melting point change as the number of double bonds in the fatty acid changes?

The melting point of the fatty acid increases as the number of double bonds decreases.

What statement is consistent with the structure of biological membranes?

The membrane lipids self-assemble to form the lipid bilayer

Whereas salts of fatty acids readily form micelles, phospholipids and glycolipids tend to form molecular bilayers instead because of

The presence of two fatty acid chains

What term describes molecules that have both hydrophilic and hydrophobic characteristics?

amphipathic

What membrane components contain carbohydrates?

glycolipids