LIPIDS

What is
Lipids?
Lipids
- are a family of substances that are insoluble in water but
soluble in a nonpolar solvents and solvents with low polarity.

-Lipids are more often defined by their functions than by their

structures

-And lipids are the most diverse class of biochemicals

Functions of Lipids
Lipids play three major roles in human biochemistry:

1) STORAGE- They store energy within cells

2) MEMBRANE COMPONENTS - they are parts of membranes

that separate cellular compartment or aqueous (water)
solution from each other

3) MESSENGERS - they are also serves as chemical

messengers
Function of Lipids
STORAGE
-one of the important use for lipids is the storage of
energy

Plants store energy in the form starch, while the

animals and humans store far more energy in the form
of fats.

Although our bodies do store some carbohydrates in the

form of glycogen, storing energy in the form of fats is
much more efficient. The reason because the burning
of fats produces more than twice as much energy as
the burning of an equal weight of carbohydrates.
 Function of Lipids

MEMBRANE COMPONENTS
Most of body components, including the carbohydrates
and proteins, are soluble in water. However, the bodies
also needs insoluble compounds for the membranes
that separate the compartments containing water
solutions.

The Lipids are the ones who provides these

membranes.

The lipids water insolubility comes from the polar

groups they contain are much smaller than their
nonpolar portions. Nonpolar portions provide the
water-repellent, or hydrophobic, property.
 Function of Lipids
MESSENGERS
Lipids also serve as chemical messenger.

Primary messenger such as steroids

hormones delivers signals from one part of
the body to another part.

While the secondary messengers such as

prostaglandins and thromboxanes mediate
the hormonal response.
 Classification by Structures
Lipids are classified into four groups:

1. Simple lipids such as fats, oils(triglycerides), and waxes

2. Complex lipids

3. Steroids

4. Prostaglandins, Thromboxanes, and Leukotrienes

Classification by Structures
Simple Lipids
These consist of long chain fatty acids which may be
either free or combined with an alcohol by an ester
linkage. They include the triglycerides
(triacylglycerols) and the waxes.
Classification by Structures
Simple Lipids
-esters of fatty acids with various alcohols

1) Fats: Esters of fatty acids with glycerol.

2) Waxes: Esters of fatty acids with higher molecular

weight monohydric alcohols
 Classification by Structures
Complex Lipids
Complex Lipids can be classified into two groups:
1. Phospholipids
2. Glycolipids

Many phospholipids and glycolipids are important components of cell

membrane. Membrane are made of a lipid bilayer in which the hydrophobic
parts of phospholipids point toward the middle of the bilayer and hydrophilic
parts point toward the inner and outer surfaces of the membrane
Complex
Lipids
Phospholipids
- are made of a central alcohol, fatty acids, and a phosphate ester such as
phosphorylcholine or inositol phosphate.
There two types of alcohol:
Glycerophospholipids – are complex lipids that consist of a central
glycerol moiety to which two fatty acids are esterified.

Sphingolipids – are complex lipids that consist of the long-chain alcohol

sphingosine esterified to a fatty acid (the ceramide moiety)
Complex
Lipids
Glycolipids
- are complex lipids that contains two parts: the carbohydrates
portion and the ceramides portion.

Cerebrosides -is a group consists of ceramide mono- or

oligosaccharides.

Gangliosides –is a group that contains more complex carbohydrate

structure.
 Classification by Structures
Steroids
 the third major group of lipids comprises the steroid. The
characteristics feature of the steroid structure is a fused four-ring
nucleus.

Steroids also plays diverse roles in the body, acting as hormones,

signaling molecules, and structural components
Some steroids have important physiological functions, others have
therapeutic uses in medicine
 Steroids
CHOLESTEROL
the most common steroid that serves as a starting material for
the synthesis of steroids, such as bile salt and sex and other
hormones.

Is also an integral part of membranes, occupying the insoluble

region of the lipid bilayer because of their low solubility in water,
cholesterol deposits are implicated in the formation of gallstones
and the plaque-like deposits of atherosclerosis.
 Steroids
CHOLESTEROL
How cholesterol transports?
Cholesterol is transported in the blood plasma mainly by two kinds of lipoproteins: High-
density Lipoprotein (HDL) and Low-density Lipoprotein (LDL).

LDL
-delivers cholesterol to the cells to be used mostly as a membrane component.

HDL
-delivers cholesteryl esters mainly to the liver to be used in the synthesis of bile acids
and steroid hormones
In additional, high levels of LDL and low levels of HDL are symptoms of faulty cholesterol
transport, indicating greater risk of atherosclerosis.
 Steroids
Physiological Roles of Steroids Hormones

An oxidation product of cholesterol is progesterone, a sex hormone.

It also gives rise to the synthesis of other sex hormones, such as
testosterone and estradiol.
Progesterone is also a precursor of the adrenocorticoid hormones. Within
this group, cortisol and cortisone are best known for their anti-
inflammatory action.
 Steroids
Bile Salt

Bile salt are oxidation products of cholesterol.

They emulsify all kinds of lipids, including
cholesterol, and are essential in the digestion of
fats.
 Classification by Structures
Prostaglandins, Thromboxanes, and Leukotrienes
are derived from arachidonic acid. They have a wide variety of effects on body
chemistry.

they can lower or raise blood pressure, cause inflammation and blood clotting,
and induce labor.

In general, they function as the secondary messenger mediate

hormone action.
 Prostaglandins, Thromboxanes, and
Leukotrienes
Prostaglandins
are lipid compounds that serve as important signaling molecules in
the body.
They have diverse functions, including regulation of inflammation,
smooth muscle contraction, blood clotting, blood pressure, and
gastrointestinal protection.
Prostaglandins are produced by cells throughout the body and act
locally to elicit specific responses. They are targeted for therapeutic
purposes in various medical interventions.
 Prostaglandins, Thromboxanes, and
Leukotrienes
Thromboxanes
are lipid compounds derived from arachidonic acid that play a
crucial role in blood clotting and platelet aggregation.

They are synthesized by platelets and contribute to the formation of

blood clots at the site of injury.

Thromboxanes also influence blood vessel constriction and are

targeted by certain medications to prevent unwanted clot formation.
 Prostaglandins, Thromboxanes, and
Leukotrienes
Leukotrienes
are lipid compounds derived from arachidonic acid that play a role in
inflammation and immune responses.
They are synthesized and released by immune cells and mediate various
inflammatory processes, including increased blood vessel permeability and
bronchoconstriction.
Targeting leukotrienes with certain medications can help manage conditions
characterized by inflammation and immune dysregulation.
 A cell membrane is impermeable to most
kinds of molecules.
There are functions that take place in or on
membrane in addition to the structural role of
Molecular membranes as the boundaries and containers
Transport of all cells and of the organelles within
Across eukaryotic cells.
Membrane
These are the three important functions:
1) Transport
2) Catalysis
3) Receptors Property
Active Transport

Active transport is the movement of molecules or ions across

a cell membrane from a region of lower concentration to a
region of higher concentration—against the concentration
gradient.

Active transport requires cellular energy to achieve this

movement.
Passive Transport

Passive transport is a type of membrane transport that

does not require energy to move substances across cell
membranes.
Instead of using cellular energy, like active transport,
passive transport relies on the second law of
thermodynamics to drive the movement of substances
across cell membranes.
 Membrane Receptor

Membrane receptors are specialized protein molecules

attached to or integrated into the cell membrane.

Through interaction with specific ligands (e.g., hormones and

neurotransmitters), the receptors facilitate communication
between the cell and the extracellular environment.
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