About lipids

The term "lipid" comes from the Greek word lyptos (λύπτομαι), meaning "fat", which itself comes from luptes (λύπτης), meaning "oily". Fats and oils are the main dietary sources of lipids. Lipids have applications in the cosmetic and food industries as well, as well as in nanotechnology, where they are called lipids to distinguish them from the biological molecules. Lipids also form a significant part of living organisms such as plants and animals, particularly in their cell membranes.

Lipid is a scientific term for fatty substances. The terms “lipids” and the obsolete “fatty acid” are interchangeable in common usage.

Lipids are organic molecules, this means that they contain carbon and hydrogen. They are insoluble in water but soluble in solvents like alcohol and ether. Their hydrophobicity is generally higher than alcohols. Lipids are also amphiphilic which means they have both polar and non-polar parts to them.

Lipids (glycerolipids, sphingolipids and fatty acids) are not mentioned much in the biochemistry courses but they are essential components of the biological membranes. Here I will try to elaborate on their structural and chemical properties as well as how classification is performed and what else can you say about these compounds.

Lipids are a group of natural organic compounds that include fats, waxes, sterols, fat soluble vitamins (like A, D, E and K), monoglycerides and diglycerides. Lipids can be broadly defined as hydrophobic or water-insoluble molecules that are found in biological membranes. Lipids can also be used for energy storage for example in the form of lipoprotein complexes found in cell membranes.

Lipids are one of the five top level groups of biomolecules. Lipids are technically a subgroup of fatty acids and alcohols. Basically, lipids are defined as hydrophobic or amphiphilic biological molecules. When you think of lipids, fats and oils come to mind. The remaining group is aqueous (water soluble) organic compounds that do not dissolve well in water.

Lipids are organic compounds, both natural and artificial that are either waxy or oily. It is an important class of substances, often referred to as the fats, waxes or phospholipids.

Lipids are water-insoluble organic macromolecules used mainly as cell structural components or as precursors for the synthesis of bioactive compounds. They consist of fatty acid molecules joined to glycerol by ester linkages. In general, they are insoluble in water, but soluble in organic solvents. Lipids are rarely amongst the top 10 proteins produced in a given organism, since most organisms can synthesize all the lipids they need for their cell membranes and other functions

Lipids are the compounds that make up fats. Fats are esters of fatty acids and glycerol. Fats are insoluble in water while triglycerides are specifically soluble in fat.