roles of lipids

• source of energy

  when oxidised, lipids provide more than twice the amount of energy that the same mass of carbohydrates provide and release valuable water
• water proofing

  lipids are insoluble in water and are therefore useful as waterproofing

  both plants and insects have waxy lipid cuticles that conserve water, while mammals produce an oily secretion from sebaceous glands in the skin
• insulation

  fats are slow conductors of heat, and when stored beneath the body surface help to retain body heat. They also act as electrical insulators in the myelin sheath found in nerve cells
• protection


  fat is often stored around delicate organs, such as the kidney