![]() ![]() Thus, long chains of carbon-hydrogens bonds form a nonpolar molecule. This is because the electrons in the covalent bonds are shared equally between the carbons and the hydrogens and there are no partial charges anywhere. However, the bonding between carbon and hydrogen atoms in lipids is not polar. Figure 1: Electronic distribution in H 2O. This creates a slight negative charge at the oxygen end of the water molecule, and a slight positive charge at the hydrogen end, as shown in Figure 1. The electrons that form this bond are shared unequally between the atoms because oxygen atoms have a stronger pull on electrons than hydrogen does. In a water molecule, the bonding between the oxygen and hydrogen atoms results in a polar covalent bond (see our module Water: Properties and Behavior). Lipids are mainly composed of carbon and hydrogen atoms, and this hydrophobic ("water fearing") nature of lipids is driven by the bonds between these many carbons and hydrogens. If you have ever made salad dressing, seen a photograph of an oil tanker spill, or tried to clean a greasy stain with water, then you have likely noticed one of the defining factors of lipids: They do not mix well with water. In our daily lives, lipids provide the delicious richness in ice cream, give carrots their color, lubricate our car engines, and help clean our clothes. They help sea otters’ fur repel water and give a waxy sheen to many plant leaves. As a group, lipids have many different functions and uses in living cells and organisms, from storing energy to regulating metabolism, signaling hormones, and providing the structure of cell membranes. What do butter, beeswax, and testosterone have in common? They’re all lipids, a type of compound produced by plants and animals that includes fats and oils as well as waxes and steroids. Understanding Scientific Journals and Articles.Using Graphs and Visual Data in Science. ![]() Scientists and the Scientific Community.Scientific Notation and Order of Magnitude.The Case of the Ivory-billed Woodpecker.Santiago Ramón y Cajal and Camillo Golgi. ![]()
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