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Lipids are a broad group of organic compounds which include fats, waxes, sterols, fat-soluble vitamins (such as vitamins A, D, E and K), monoglycerides, diglycerides, phospholipids, and others. The functions of lipids include storing energy, signaling, and acting as structural components of cell membranes.
Vertebrates (including humans) use both sources of fat to produce energy for organs such as the heart to function. [6] Since lipids are hydrophobic molecules, they need to be solubilized before their metabolism can begin. Lipid metabolism often begins with hydrolysis, [7] which occurs with the help of various enzymes in the digestive system. [2]
Membrane lipids are a group of compounds (structurally similar to fats and oils) which form the lipid bilayer of the cell membrane. The three major classes of membrane lipids are phospholipids, glycolipids, and cholesterol. Lipids are amphiphilic: they have one end that is soluble in water ('polar') and an ending that is soluble in fat ...
[2] [3] The most familiar type of animal sterol is cholesterol, which is vital to the structure of the cell membrane, and functions as a precursor to fat-soluble vitamins and steroid hormones. While technically alcohols, sterols are classified by biochemists as lipids (fats in the broader sense of the term).
Neutral fats, also known as true fats, are simple lipids that are produced by the dehydration synthesis of one or more fatty acids with an alcohol like glycerol. Neutral fats are also known as triacylglycerols, [1] these lipids are dense as well as hydrophobic due to their long carbon chain and are there main function is to store energy ...
An example of how glycolipids function within the body is the interaction between leukocytes and endothelial cells during inflammation. Selectins , a class of lectins found on the surface of leukocytes and endothelial cells bind to the carbohydrates attached to glycolipids to initiate the immune response.
In addition, phosphatidylserine plays an important role in the human brain content, as it makes up 13–15% of the phospholipids in the human cerebral cortex. This lipid is found in a wide range of places. For example, in the human diet, about 130 mg are derived from phosphatidylserine.
The primary saponifiable lipids are free fatty acids, neutral glycerolipids, glycerophospholipids, sphingolipids, and glycolipids. [1] By comparison, the non-saponifiable class of lipids is made up of terpenes, including fat-soluble A and E vitamins, and certain steroids, such as cholesterol. [2]