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Lipids
Lipids are organic compounds that contain hydrogen, carbon, and oxygen atoms,
which form the framework for the structure and function of living cells.
These organic compounds are nonpolar molecules, which are soluble only in nonpolar
solvents and insoluble in water because water is a polar molecule. In the human body, these
molecules can be synthesized in the liver and are found in oil, butter, whole milk, cheese,
fried foods and also in some red meats.
Lipids are generally water insoluble. They could be simple fatty acids . A fatty acid
has a carboxyl group attached to an R group. The R group could be a methyl (–CH3), or ethyl
(–C2H5) or higher number of –CH2 groups (1 carbon to 19 carbons). For example, palmitic
acid has 16 carbons including carboxyl carbon. Arachidonic acid has 20 carbon atoms
including the carboxyl carbon. Fatty acids could be saturated (without double bond) or
unsaturated (with one or more C=C double bonds). Another simple lipid is glycerol which is
trihydroxy propane. Many lipids have both glycerol and fatty acids. Here the fatty acids are
found esterified with glycerol. They can be then monoglycerides, diglycerides and
triglycerides. These are also called fats and oils based on melting point. Oils have lower
melting point (e.g., gingelly oil) and hence remain as oil in winters. Some lipids have
phosphorous and a phosphorylated organic compound in them .These are phospholipids.
They are found in cell membrane. Lecithin is one example. Some tissues especially the neural
tissues have lipids with more complex structures.
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Structure
Lipids are the polymers of fatty acids that contain a long, non-polar hydrocarbon
chain with a small polar region containing oxygen. The lipid structure is explained in the
diagram below:
Lipid Structure – Saturated and Saturated Fatty Acids
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Types of lipids
On the basis of groups present, lipids are classified into three types as follows:
Simple lipids - They are formed of fatty acids and alcohols. Examples
include fats, oils and wax.
Compound or conjugated lipids - They are formed of fatty acids, glycerol and
additional groups such as phosphates or carbohydrates. Examples include
phospholipids, glycolipids etc.
Derived lipids - They are lipids like substances such as sterol. Examples
include prostaglandins.
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1.Simple Lipids
Simple lipids are fatty acid esters of alcohol and the alcohol in the bulk of lipids is
glycerol. Long chain alcohol is found in waxes, whereas glycerol and fatty acids are found in
fats and oils.
A) Glycerol
It is an alcohol, consisting of three hydroxyl (OH) groups, three carbons, and five
hydrogens. It is also called trihydroxy propane because three hydroxyl groups are present. It
is a colourless, sweet and highly viscous liquid.
Fig .Glycerol
Fatty Acid
They are carboxylic acids with a R group.
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Fig . Fatty acid structure
Carboxyl group forms the acid and charged part. The R group forms
a hydrocarbon chain. R groups may vary depending upon the number of carbon atoms
present. It could be a methyl group, ethyl group or a long carbon chain consisting of 3-19
carbon atoms. Examples include palmitic acid (16 carbons), stearic acid (18 carbon)
and arachidonic acid (20 carbons).
Fig . Fatty acids
On the basis of types of bond present in between carbon atoms, fatty acids are of two
types as follows: Saturated fatty acids and Unsaturated fatty acids
Saturated Fatty Acids
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They have single bonds present in the carbon chain. For this reason, they have a high
melting point. They are solid at room temperature. Mostly animal fats contain saturated fatty
acids. Examples include palmitic acid, stearic acid, etc.
Fig . Saturated Fatty acid
Unsaturated Fatty Acids
They have one or more double bonds present in the carbon chain. For this reason, they
have a low melting point. They are generally liquid at room temperature. Mostly plant fats
contain unsaturated fatty acids. Examples include sunflower oil, gingelly oil, sesame oil.
Fig . Unsaturated Fatty acid
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On the basis of number of double bonds, unsaturated fatty acids are further of two
types as follows:
Monounsaturated Fatty Acids (MUFA): They have only one double bond
present in the carbon chain. For example: oleic acid, linoleic acid
Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids (PUFA): They have two or more double bonds
present in the carbon chain. For example: linolenic acid, arachidonic acid
B) Glycerides
Glycerides are esters of fatty acids and glycerol. The carboxylic group (-COOH) of the fatty
acid undergoes an esterification reaction with the hydroxyl (-OH) group of the alcohol
(glycerol) to form an ester bond by the elimination of water.
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Fig . Formation of a glyceride
Based on of the number of fatty acid chains present, glycerides are of three types as follows:
Fig . Example of lipids
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On the basis of fatty acid group present, triglycerides can be of two types: Fats and Oils.
C) Wax
They are esters of long chain fatty acid and long chain alcohol. They form a water
insoluble coating. They are found on hair and skin in animals and on fruits, leaves and stems
in plants. For example: bee wax, cerumen (ear wax).
Fig . Examples of wax
2 . Compound or Conjugated Lipids
They are esters of fatty acids and alcohol with additional groups such as sugar, proteins
or phosphorus. They are usually found in cell membranes. On the basis of additional groups
present, conjugated lipids are of three types as follows:
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A) Phospholipids
They are formed by the addition of a phosphate group in a triglyceride. Basically,
phospholipids have three components:
Glycerol backbone
Fatty acids
Phosphate group
They are the major lipids found in the cell membrane. Examples include lecithin.
Fig . Structure of a phospholipid
B) Glycolipids
They are formed by the addition of a carbohydrate group in a triglyceride. They have
three components:
Glycerol backbone
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Fatty acids
Carbohydrate group
They are mainly found on the cell membrane surface and help in recognising other
cells. They are present on the surface of neurons such as the myelin sheath (mainly composed
of a glycolipid galactocerebroside ) .
Fig . Location of glycolipids
C) Sphingolipids
These are conjugated lipids which contain an organic aliphatic amino alcohol known
as sphingosine or a substance structurally similar to it.
3) Derived Lipids
Lipids derived from simple or conjugated lipids are called derived lipids. Their structure is
complex. For example: Cholesterol - It is tetracyclic in nature.
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Fig . Cholestrol
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Importance
Lipids play a very important role in our body.
They are the structural component of the cell membrane.
They help in providing energy.
They help in the proper digestion and absorption of food.
They are a healthy part of our diet if taken in proper amounts.
They also play an important role in signalling.
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Functions
They store energy for the long term. For example: triglycerides.
They retain the body heat and prevent it from escaping. Thus, they provide insulation.
They are the main component of cell membranes such as phospholipids.
Some of them are chemokines and act as chemical messengers.
They protect against physical shock. For example, lipids in cell membranes of fish help
them to survive in frigid conditions.
They protect against water loss.
Cholesterol formation
Formation of Prostaglandin and its role in inflammation
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Facts
All lipids are water insoluble, non-polar and hydrophobic, even the ones present in the
living cells. Thus, they separate out in the water-insoluble fraction of a cellular extract,
along with other macromolecules, because of their association with living membranes.
Lipids are not polymers like other macromolecules such as protein, nucleic acids. They
consist of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen.
They not only help the body in heat insulation, they also help in providing energy to the
body during periods of starvation. In fact, you will be amazed to know that lipids can
provide twice as much energy when compared to that of glucose.
Wax is a lipid, and is used I a variety of everyday products such as candles, chewing gum,
and even nail polish.
While consuming fat is important for health, the type of fat is important. Too much fat in
the diet is not good for human health in the same way that too little fat is not good for
human health.
It is believed that consuming too many saturated fats in the diet can lead to increased
cancer risk. This means that it is best to avoid saturated fat and choose foods that contain
unsaturated fat instead, such as nuts, some vegetables, and some fish.
Fat helps the body absorb certain vitamins such as vitamins A, D, E, and K.
Saturated fats will remain solid at room temperature while unsaturated fats will remain
liquid.
Steroids are a type of lipid that includes chlorophyll, cortisol, cholesterol, and hormones.
Cholesterol and cortisol are essential for human life, and in some cases steroids are
prescribed by doctors for healing illnesses.
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Steroids that competitors use can be damaging to human health. These are not the same
natural lipid steroids.
When there is a lipid imbalance in the body the result can be high cholesterol, which is
believed to be associated with increased cardiovascular disease risk.
Lipids are also believed to play a role in a variety of diseases including inflammatory
diseases, various cancers, Alzheimer's disease, asthma, and rheumatoid arthritis.
The main categories of lipids include fatty acids, glycerolipids, glycerophospholipids,
sphingolipids, sterol lipids, prenol lipids, saccharolipids, and polyketides.
Science has shown that lipid signaling is vital for cell signaling, which means they play
an important role in cell communication.
Some studies tried to show a link between dietary fat and increased obesity risk, but they
were not successful in proving their theory. It has been concluded that the total amount of
dietary fat in one's diet is not associated with either weight issues or disease risk.
An emulsion test can be done to determine lipid presence. This test is considered wet
chemistry, in which the sample is dissolved in alcohol, and then decanted into water.
Once diluted the lipids, which are not water soluble, provides a white emulsion.
When the body contains too many lipids, from trans fats and monosaturated fats, this can
lead to hardening of the arteries, which is harmful to human health and can lead to
cardiovascular issues.
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Reference
NCERT Biology Class XI (2022) , p144/145 . ISBN 81-7450-496-6
Byjus (https://byjus.com/biology/lipids/)
Softschools (https://www.softschools.com/facts/health/lipids_facts/3175/)
Akash (https://www.aakash.ac.in/important-concepts/biology/lipids)
EduRev (https://edurev.in/studytube/Lipids-Fatty-acids--Phospholipids-
Biomolecules--Cl/a58f343c-11b2-4312-b171-77bd2eb59188_t)
