Lipids

• Lipids


  Lipids constitute another major class of biomolecules. These include fats and oils
• Fats


  Predominantly derived from animals
• Oils


  Originate in plants and sometimes, fish
• Fats and oils


  At normal room temperature, oils are liquid, while fats are solid
• Triglycerides


  Fats and oils are composed of triglycerides, which are esters of glycerols and three fatty acids. Triglycerides are the type of fat found in the blood
• Fatty acids


  Carboxylic acids with long hydrocarbon chains (R). They be either saturated and unsaturated
• Saturated fatty acid


  Contain single bond between two carbon atoms
• Unsaturated fatty acids


  Contain one or more double bonds and/or triple bonds
• Diet rich in animal fat

  Believed to promote high blood cholesterol
• Cholesterol


  A type of lipid in the blood. It may be obtained from the diet or synthesized naturally by the human body
• Cholesterol


  Insoluble in blood. It is transported to the different parts of the body by carriers called lipoproteins
• Lipoproteins


  May be low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and high-density lipoprotein (HDL)
• LDL cholesterol


  Also known as bad cholesterol. It can deposit in the walls of blood vessels, forming a plaque that can clog the arteries. This condition is known as atherosclerosis, which can lead to serious health problems such as heart attack and stroke
• HDL Cholesterol


  Described as the good cholesterol. It takes the bad cholesterol out of the blood and prevents bad cholesterol from building up in the arteries
• Blood chemistry analysis


  Always includes cholesterol: HDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol and triglyceride count expressed in milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL)
• Fat


  Mainly used as an energy source. One gram of fat supplies 9 kcal of energy, which is more than twice the amount of energy supplied by one gram of carbohydrate
• Fats are not only derived from diet; they are also synthesized by the body from excess carbohydrates and are stored in adipose tissues