TRINITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE

BIOCHEMISTRY
MIGUEL MIYARES CALÁS M.D. Ph.D.

PROFESSOR

LIPIDS STRUCTURE AND FUNCTIONS

E.B is a 15-year-old, 5 feet 10 inches tall, and weighs 370 pounds
He has been overweight his entire life; at 8 years of age he was 4 feet 7 inches tall
and weighed 210 pounds
He is currently being home schooled for several reasons, including severe
arthritis of the bilateral knees, obstructive sleep apnea leading to severe fatigue,
and type 2 diabetes requiring four injections of insulin per day
When asked about his quality of life, he states he feels like an old man due to his
many health issues and feels like he is existing in the world rather than living in
it
His internal medicine physician introduces the possibility of gastric bypass
surgery and explores Patient's thoughts and feelings regarding the procedure
The patient and his parents agreed
After a psychiatric evaluation and thorough medical evaluation, he is cleared for
gastric bypass surgery
Immediately following surgery, he has had a reduction in his insulin needs and a
decrease in his appetite
At his one-month post-surgical evaluation, his weight has decreased 25 pounds
and he has discontinued his insulin
At his 6-month follow-up, he has lost 65 pounds and no longer requires
antiglycemic agents of any kind. His knee pain is resolving as his weight
 OBJECTIVES
• Enunciate lipids definition
• Classify lipids according with their chemical nature
• Listed the biological functions of the different lipids
• Enunciate the definition of fatty acids
• Identify the most common fatty acids found on nature
• Explain the importance of polyunsaturated fatty acids
• Describe the structure of neutral fats
• Enunciate the definition of phosphoglycerides
• Recognize the general structure of phosphoglycerides
• Differentiate the types of phosphoglycerides
• Listed the functions of phosphoglycerides
 LIPIDS
STRUCTURE AND FUNCTIONS
LIPIDS
 LIPIDS
• Lipids are a chemical diverse group of
compounds which are water insoluble
and soluble in apolar solvents.
 CLASSIFICATION
• Fatty acids
• Neutral fats (triacylglycerols)
• Phosphoglycerides
• Sphingolipids
• Isoprenoids
• Waxes
• Eicosanoids
FATTY ACIDS

Carboxylic acids
FUNCTIONS OF FATTY ACIDS

• Biological fuel

• Components of other lipids

CLASSIFICATION OF FATTY
ACIDS
• CHEMICAL
• Saturated
• Unsaturated

• BIOLOGICAL
• Essential
• Non essential
SATURATED FATTY ACIDS
Acetate

Butyrate

Laurate

Myristate

Palmitate

Stearate
UNSATURATED FATTY ACIDS
Palmitoleate

Oleate

Linoleate

Linolenate

Eicosapentanoate (EPA)

Docosahexanoate (DHA)

Arachidonate
SATURATED VS UNSATURATED
 NEUTRAL FATS
• Ester of fatty acid with glycerol

• LOCATION
• Adipose tissue
 FUNCTIONS OF NEUTRAL
FATS
• Storage of metabolic fuel

• Structural

• Mechanical protection

• Thermal protection
 CLASSIFICATION OF
NEUTRAL FATS

• Monoacylglycerols

• Diacylglycerols

• Triacylglycerols
 NEUTRAL FATS

Monoacylglycerol Diacylglycerol

Triacylglycerol
A 2 hour old, 32 week gestation, 1,8 kg male infant was born to a 25 year old
A+, VDRL negative, Hepatitis B negative, GBS unscreened, Rubella immune,
woman who had an uncomplicated pregnancy, labor and delivery. Apgar scores
were 5/9. He was sent to the newborn nursery
He breast fed 1 hour ago without concerns. He now presents with respiratory
distress.
Exam: T 37, HR 160, RR 80, BP 60/35 (mean 45), oxygen saturation 95% in 2
L/min oxygen via mask. Wt 1,8 kg
He is a pre-term male with obvious respiratory distress and tachypnea
Skin is pale and pink without petechiae, ecchymoses, or lesions

His chest is symmetric with equal and

clear breath sounds. Mild to moderate
chest retractions are present. Heart is
regular with a normal S1, split S2, and
no murmurs
He has mild hypotonia

CXR: 10 ribs of inflation, streaky linear

perihilar densities, and small scattered
patchy densities bilaterally
 PHOSPHOGLYCERIDES
• Esters of diacylglycerols with phosphate
and another alcohol

• FUNCTION
• Structure of cell membrane
GENERAL STRUCTURE OF
PHOSPHOGLYCERIDES
 CLASSIFICATION OF
GLYCEROPHOSPHATIDES
• Phosphatidate • Hydrogen
• Phosphatidyl choline • Choline
(lecithin)
• Phosphatidyl • Ethanolamine
ethanolamine
• Serine
• Phosphatidyl serine
• Phosphatidyl glycerol • Glycerol
• Phosphatidyl inositol • Inositol
• Cardiolipin • Diacylglycerol
• Plasmalogen • Ether linkage
Phosphatidyl choline Phosphatidyl inositol

Phosphatidyl
Phosphatidyl serine Phosphatidate ethanolamine

Cardiolipin Phosphatidyl glycerol

 PLASMALOGENS

Lecithin Plasmalogen
 OTHER FUNCTIONS OF
GLYCEROPHOSPHATIDES
• Lecithin • Major component of
pulmonary surfactant
• Phosphatidyl glycerol • Last component of
pulmonary surfactant
• Phosphatidyl inositol • Precursor of second
messengers
• Cardiolipin and • Factors of blood
plasmalogen clotting