Lipids are a heterogeneous group of water-insoluble (hydrophobic) organic molecules.
Dietary Lipid Metabolism
OVERVIEW
Lipids are a
heterogeneous group of water-insoluble (hydrophobic) organic molecules (Figure
15.1). Because of their insolubility in aqueous solutions, body lipids are
generally found compartmentalized, as in the case of membrane-associated lipids
or droplets of triacylglycerol in adipocytes, or transported in plasma in
association with protein, as in lipoprotein particles, or on albumin. Lipids
are a major source of energy for the body, and they also provide the
hydrophobic barrier that permits partitioning of the aqueous contents of cells
and subcellular structures. Lipids serve additional functions in the body (for
example, some fat-soluble vitamins have regulatory or coenzyme functions, and
the prostaglandins and steroid hormones play major roles in the control of the
body’s homeostasis). Not surprisingly, deficiencies or imbalances of lipid
metabolism can lead to some of the major clinical problems encountered by
physicians, such as atherosclerosis, diabetes, and obesity.
Figure 15.1 Structures of some
common classes of lipids. Hydrophobic portions of the molecules are shown in
orange.
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