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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)