Lipid - Typical Lipids, Lipids And Cell Membranes, Metabolism Of Lipids
soluble vitamins fat substances
Lipids are a class of natural, organic compounds in plants and animals, defined by a specific way they behave: they are soluble in non-polar solvents. That is, lipids are not soluble in water but dissolve in solvents like gasoline, ether, carbon tetrachloride, or oil. The vast majority of lipids are colorless and mostly fats and oils.
Lipids comprise one of the three broad classifications into which nourishing substances can be broken. Lipids, proteins, and carbohydrates are the three very general classifications. Fiber may be filling but is not called nourishment. Lipids are rich in energy, supplying twice the caloric value per unit weight than carbohydrates or proteins. Seeds contain lipids as energy storage substances to get the plant started.
Lipids are derived from living systems of plants, animals, or humans. Substances that are lipids may also be called fat-soluble. For example, this designation is frequently applied to those vitamins in our food that a human can store in body fat. This is contrasted with the vitamins that are not lipid-like, but are instead water soluble. Excesses of the water soluble vitamins are passed in one's urine and must be replaced frequently. The fat-soluble, lipid-like vitamins do not need to be taken daily. (The common known fat-soluble vitamins are vitamins A, D, E, and K.)
Additional Topics
Besides the lipid vitamins that are fat-soluble, hormones, waxes, oils, and many very important substances are also examples of lipids. These examples bear little similarity to one another in terms of their chemical formulations. Lipids also vary greatly in their molecular structure. Most lipid molecules are not electrically charged, nor is either end of the compound the least bit electrically pol…
Body cells have a membrane that is quite complicated but it can be represented by a double layer of lipids or lipids attached to proteins. Thus the behavior of lipids and lipid-like molecules becomes very important in understanding how a substance may or may not enter a cell. Many biochemical processes that occur in our bodies are becoming better understood as scientists learn more about the lipid…
The processes by which a lipid is broken down or by which it is built are quite complicated. The liver can convert fats into blood sugar, or glucose. Very specific and very effective enzymes are involved in the many steps of the processes. As a group, these enzymes are called lipases. There is one group of lipids that are not easily broken down. These non-saponifiable lipids are the steroids and c…
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