LIPIDS  On the other hand, their characterization is based on

Introduction to Lipids their solubility nature.

 Lipids are a group of naturally occurring molecules  A lipid is an organic compound found in living
that include fats,waxes, sterols, fat-soluble vitamins organisms that is insoluble or sparingly soluble in
(such as vitamins A, D, E, and K), monoglycerides, water but soluble in nonpolar organic solvents.
diglycerides, triglycerides, phospholipids, and others.  The lipid molecules are diverse as shown by their
solubility rather than their structure.
The main biological functions of lipids include:  Some are esters, some are amides, some are
 storing energy (Gluceogenesis) alcohols where some are cyclic, acyclic and polycyclic.
 Signaling (cell to cell recognition)
 act as structural components of cell membranes. Lipid classification based on lipid function
 Lipids have applications in the cosmetic and food 1. Energy-storage lipids- (TAG)
industries as well as in nanotechnology 2. Membrane lipids.(PhPL, SphGL, Chol)
3. Emulsification lipids (bile acids)
 Lipids may be broadly defined as hydrophobic or 4. Messenger lipids (steroid hormones and eicosanoids)
amphiphilic (hydrophobic and hydrophilic) small 5. Protective-coating lipids (biological waxes)
molecules; the amphiphilic nature of some lipids
allows them to form structures such as vesicles, Lipid categories:
liposomes, or membranes in an aqueous environment.  Saponifiable (TAG, phospholipids, sphingoglycolipids,
 Biological lipids originate entirely or in part from two and biological waxes)
distinct types of biochemical subunits or  Converted to two or more molecules
"buildingblocks":  Nonsaponifiable (cholesterol, steroid hormones, bile
 Ketoacyl acids, and eicosanoids)
 isoprene groups.  Cannot be broken to smaller units since they
 Using this approach, lipids may be divided into eight cannot react with water
categories:
 fatty acids, Fatty acids-as building blocks of lipids
 glycerolipids,  Fatty acids are structural components of all lipids
 glycerophospholipids, except cholesterol, bile acids and steroid hormones.
 sphingolipids,  Fatty acids are naturally occurring monocarboxylic
 saccharolipids, acids.
 polyketides (derived from condensation of  Contain one carboxyl group
ketoacyl subunits);  Because of the pathway by which they are
 sterol lipids biosynthesized, fatty acids nearly always contain an
 prenol lipids (derived from condensation of even number of carbon atoms and have a carbon
isoprene subunits). chain that is unbranched.
 Although the term lipid is sometimes used as a  In terms of carbon chain length, fatty acids are
synonym for fats, fats are a subgroup of lipids called categorized as long-chain fatty acids (C12 to C26),
triglycerides. Lipids also encompass molecules such medium-chain fatty acids (C8 to C10) and short-chain
as fatty acids and their derivatives (including tri-, di-, fatty acids (C4 to C6).
monoglycerides, and phospholipids), as well as other  Fatty acids are rarely found free in nature but rather
sterol-containing metabolites such as cholesterol. occur as a part of the structure of more complex lipid
 Although humans and other mammals use various molecules.
biosynthetic pathways to both break down and
synthesize lipids, some essential lipids cannot be Saturated and Unsaturated Fatty acids
made this way and must be obtained from the diet  On the presence or absence of a C=C double bonds,
fatty acids are classified as SFAs, MUFAs or PUFAs.
Lipids-The specifics  A saturated fatty acid is a fatty acid with a carbon
 Unlike carbohydrates and most other classes of chain in which all carboncarbon bonds are single
compounds, lipids do not have a common structural bonds.
feature that serves as the basis for defining such
compounds.
Saturated Fatty acids Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid
 IUPAC name: Hexadecanoic acid  A fatty acid with a carbon chain in which 2 or more
 Common name: Palmitic acid carbon double bonds are present. Up to 6 double
bonds are found to be biochemically important PUFAs.
 Fatty acids are nearly always referred to using their
common names. IUPAC names for fatty acids,
although easily constructed, are usually quite long.
The two names for an 18-carbon PUFA containing cis
double bonds in the 9 and 12 positions are as follows.

 IUPAC name: cis,cis-9,12-octadecadienoic acid

 Common name: Linoleic acid

Monounsaturated Fatty Acid

 A fatty acid with a carbon chain in which one C=C
double bond is present. In biochemically important
MUFAs, the configuration about the double-bond is
nearly always cis.
 IUPAC name: cis-9-octadecenoic acid
 Common name: oleic acid

Unsaturated fatty acids and Double bond position

 A numerically based shorthand system exists for
specifying key structural parameters for fatty acids.
 In this system, two numbers separated by a colon (:)
are used to specify the number of carbon atoms and
the number of carbon-carbon double bonds present.
 The notation 18:0 denotes a C18 fatty acid with no
double bonds, whereas the notation 18:2 signifies a
C18 fatty acid in which two double bonds are present.
 To specify double bond positioning within the carbon
chain of an unsaturated fatty acid, the preceding
notation is expanded by adding the Greek capital letter
 The first structure correctly emphasizes that the delta (∆) followed by one or more superscript numbers
presence of a cis double bond in the carbon chain  The notation 18:3 (∆ 9,12,15) denotes a C18 PUFA
puts a rigid 30° bend in the chain. Such bend affects with three double bonds at locations between carbons
the physical properties of a fatty acid. 9 and 10, 12 and 13, and 15 and 16.

The fatty acids present in naturally occurring lipids almost

always have the following three characteristics:
1. An unbranched carbon chain
2. An even number of carbon atoms in the carbon chain.
3. The double bonds present are in the cisconfiguration.