Lipids are a wide group of molecules which occur naturally in your body. Lipids include fats, sterols, fat-soluble vitamins (such as vitamins A, E, D and K) waxes, monoglycerides, phospholipids, diglycerides. It is one of the essential components in your body. One of the main biological functions of lipids is storage of energy. Lipids are the structural components of cell membranes, and also play a vital role as signaling molecules in your cells.
Lipids are scientifically known as hydrophobic or amphiphilic small molecules. This amphiphilic nature of certain lipids helps to develop structures such as liposome, vesicles, or membranes in your cell. Basically lipids are divided into eight categories and they are fatty acids, saccharolipids, glycerophospholipids, glycerolipids, sphingolipids, sterol lipids and phenol lipids and polyketides.
Mostly the term lipid is considered as fats, but fats are just a subgroup of lipids which is known as triglycerides.
Lipids are insoluble in water and are present in all living cells with different proportion. Generally lipids are classified into two forms; they are simple lipids and complex lipids. Simple lipids are triglycerides, waxes and steroids. Phosphatides or phospholipids, Glycolipids and Sphingolipids are complex lipids.
The triglycerides found in certain areas of the body, such as adipose tissue and are very essential for energy storage. Most of the active tissues of the body generally have high lipid content such as, the brain, lung, kidney, liver, and blood. |