Lipids are important constituent of of the diet because

they are a source of high energy value. Lipids are also

important because of the fat-soluble vitamins, and
essential fatty acids found in the fat of the natural food
stuffs. Body fat serves as a very good source of energy,
it is stored in adipose tissues. They also act as
insulating material in the subcutaneous tissues and are
also seen around certain organs. Lipids combined with
proteins are important constituents of the cell
membranes and mitochondria of the cell.
Unsaturated fats Are fat that contains a carbon-carbon
double bond, or a fat containing unsaturated fatty acids,
such a fatty acid has double or triple covalent bonds and
is thus able to add more atoms. Unsaturated fats are
believed to lower blood cholesterol levels and are found
at high levels in vegetable oils (olive oil, safflower oil,
etc.) As a general rule, unsaturated fats are liquid at
room temperature.

FUNCTIONS OF LIPIDS:

 Chemical messengers
 Storage and provision of energy
 Maintenance of temperature
 Membrane lipid layer formation
 Cholesterol formation
 Prostaglandin formation and role in
inflammation

THREE MAIN CLASSES OF LIPIDS:

1. Triglycerides are lipids you obtain from food

sources of fat, such as cooking oils, butter and
animal fat. Triglycerides provide insulation that
keeps you warm while protecting your internal
organs with a layer of padding. They also play a
role how your body uses vitamins. When you
don't burn all the calories you consume, they're
converted to triglycerides and stored for future
use. If you regularly eat more calories than you
burn or eat too much food rich in fats, your
triglyceride level could become too high and
pose a health risk.
Examples of Triglycerides:
Trans fat is a specific type of fat formed when liquid
fats are made into solid fats by the addition of hydrogen
atoms, in a process strangely enough known as
hydrogenation. That being said, small amounts of trans
fats are found naturally in certain animal based foods.
Trans fat was originally added to foods to increase the
shelf life. Trans fat does not stand for "Transformed fat"
(except maybe in the mind of someone trying to market
this), but comes from the fact that the hydrogen atoms in
the double bond are actually across from each other (see
below). This comes from the Latin meaning of trans,
which is across.

Saturated fats, refers to a fat with a chemical nature in

which the carbon atoms are saturated with hydrogen
atoms and do not contain double bonds between carbon
atoms. Saturated fat is typically solid at room
temperature.
 2. Phospolipids

Phospholipids are derivatives of triglycerides. They're 3. Steroids and Sterols

very similar to them but slightly different on a molecular
level. Half of each molecule is water-soluble and the
other is not, which causes them to react differently than
triglycerides. Located on cell membranes, they form
double-layered membranes with the water-soluble
molecules on the outside of the cell membrane and the
water-insoluble molecules in the inside. These lipids are
responsible for protecting and insulating cells.
Steroids are a type of lipid that includes hormones
and cholesterol. Cholesterol is produced by the
body and consumed through food, and it plays a
role in the production of hormones. Hormones
include the sex hormones estrogen and testosterone,
as well as your other hormones like adrenaline,
cortisol and progesterone. Cholesterol, the most
abundant steroid lipid in the body, is required in
every cell in the body. It plays a role in cell repair
and the formation of new cells. However, too much
cholesterol is a bad thing. When it combines with
other compounds in your blood, it can build up as
plaque in your arteries, blocking blood flow to and
from the heart. Having a high cholesterol level
increases your risk of cardiovascular disease.

Lipids perform several biological functions:

 Lipids are storage compounds, triglycerides

serve as reserve energy of the body.
 Lipids are important component of cell
membranes structure in eukaryotic cells.
 Lipids regulate membrane permeability.
 They serve as source for fat soluble vitamins
like A, D, E, K.
 They act electrical insulators to the nerve
fibres, where the myelin sheath contains
lipids.
 Lipids are components of some enzyme
systems
 Some lipids like prostaglandins and steroid
hormones act as cellular metabolic
regulators.
 Cholesterol is found in cell membranes,
blood, and bile of many organisms.
 As lipids are small molecules and are
insoluble in water, they act as signalling
molecules.