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    Protective - Coating Lipids Biological Waxes

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    Lee Dya
    Biological waxes are protective-coating lipids formed by the esterification of a long-chain fatty acid to a long-chain alcohol. They are monoesters unlike fats and oils which are triesters. Biological waxes have numerous functions related to their water-repellent properties, including protecting skin, hair, feathers and plant leaves. They have a small polar head and two long nonpolar tails. Common examples include beeswax, carnauba wax and lanolin.

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    Protective - Coating Lipids Biological Waxes

    Uploaded by

    Lee Dya
    67 views11 pages
    Biological waxes are protective-coating lipids formed by the esterification of a long-chain fatty acid to a long-chain alcohol. They are monoesters unlike fats and oils which are triesters. Biological waxes have numerous functions related to their water-repellent properties, including protecting skin, hair, feathers and plant leaves. They have a small polar head and two long nonpolar tails. Common examples include beeswax, carnauba wax and lanolin.

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    Protective-Coating-Lipids

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    Biological waxes are protective-coating lipids formed by the esterification of a long-chain fatty acid to a long-chain alcohol. They are monoesters unlike fats and oils which are triesters. Biological waxes have numerous functions related to their water-repellent properties, including protecting skin, hair, feathers and plant leaves. They have a small polar head and two long nonpolar tails. Common examples include beeswax, carnauba wax and lanolin.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as TXT, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as txt, pdf, or txt
    67 views11 pages

    Protective - Coating Lipids Biological Waxes

    Uploaded by

    Lee Dya
    Biological waxes are protective-coating lipids formed by the esterification of a long-chain fatty acid to a long-chain alcohol. They are monoesters unlike fats and oils which are triesters. Biological waxes have numerous functions related to their water-repellent properties, including protecting skin, hair, feathers and plant leaves. They have a small polar head and two long nonpolar tails. Common examples include beeswax, carnauba wax and lanolin.

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    Download as txt, pdf, or txt
    of 11

    PROTECTIVE - COATING LIPIDS

    BIOLOGICAL
    WAXES
    What is Biological wax?
    • Biological waxes are protective-coating lipids
    formed through the esterification of a longchain fatty acid to a long-chain alcohol
    • Biological waxes are monoesters, unlike fats
    and oils, which are triesters.
    • The fatty acids found in biological waxes
    generally are saturated and contain 14-36
    carbon atoms
    • The alcohols found in biological waxes may be
    saturated or unsaturated and may contain from
    16-30 carbon atoms
    The term "wax" derives from
    the old English word "weax"
    which means "the material of
    the honeycomb".
    Structure
    • A biological wax has a structure with a small,
    weakly polar "head" and two long, nonpolar
    "tails." The polarity of the small "head" is not
    sufficient to impart any degree of water
    solubility to the molecule.
    • Note that the general structural formula for a
    biological wax is the same as that for a simple
    ester
    • However, for waxes both R and R' must be
    long carbon chains (usually 20-30 carbon
    atoms).
    Structure
    THE BLOCK DIAGRAM FOR A BIOLOGICAL WAX IS:
    WITH THE FATTY ACID AND ALCOHOL LINKED THROUGH AN ESTER
    LINKAGE.
    AN ACTUAL STRUCTURAL FORMULA FOR A BIOLOGICAL WAX THAT
    BEES SECRETE AND USE A STRUCTURAL MATERIAL IS:
    Functions

    In living organisms, biological waxes have numerous


    functions, all of which are related directly or
    indirectly to their water-repellent properties.
    • Both humans and animals possess skin glands
    that secrete biological waxes to protect hair and
    skin and to keep it pliable and lubricated.
    • With animal fur, waxes impart water repellency to
    the fur.
    • Birds, particularly aquatic birds, rely on waxes
    secreted from preen glands to keep their feathers
    water repellent. Such wax coatings also help
    minimize loss of body heat when the bird is in cold
    water.
    • Many plants, particularly those that grown in arid
    regions, have leaves that are coated with a thin
    layer of biological waxes, which serve to prevent
    excessive evaporation of water and to protect
    against parasite attack
    Biological waxes find use in the
    pharmaceutical, cosmetics, and "polishing"
    industries.
    Carnauba wax (obtained from a species of
    Brazilian palm tree) is a particularly hard
    wax whose uses involve high-gloss finishes:
    automobile wax, boat wax, floor wax, and
    shoe wax

    06
    Lanolin, a mixture of
    waxes obtained from
    sheep wool, is used as
    a base for skin creams
    and ointments
    intended to enhance
    retention of water
    which softens the skin

    07
    Ear wax
    Human earwax which acts as a protective barrier against
    infection by capturing airborne particles, is not a true
    biological wax – that is, it is not a mixture of simple esters.
    Human earwax is a yellow wax secretion that is a mixture of
    triacylglycerols, phospholipids, and esters of cholesterol. Its
    medical name is cerumen.
    In general discussions, a wax is a pliable, water-repelling substance
    used particularly in protecting surfaces and producing polished
    surfaces. This broadened definition for waxes includes not only

    biological waxes but also mineral waxes.


    A mineral wax is a mixture of long-chain alkanes obtained from the
    processing of petroleum. Mineral waxes, which are also called paraffin
    waxes, resist moisture and chemicals and have no odor or taste. They
    serve as a waterproof coating for such paper products as milk cartons
    and waxed paper.

    08

    Biological wax
    or justWax?

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