Ministry of Higher Education & Scientific Research

Erbil Polytechnic University

Report About

( Lipid )

Subject
Biochemistry

Prepared By : Supervised By :
Sima Talat Aziz Dr. Zirar Argoshy

19/6/2020
Table of Contents
Introduction .......................................................................................................................................... 3

Properties of Lipids .............................................................................................................................. 3

Lipid Structure ..................................................................................................................................... 4

Types of Lipids .................................................................................................................................... 4

Precursor and Derived Lipids .............................................................................................................. 4

Fatty Acids ........................................................................................................................................... 4

Role of Fats .......................................................................................................................................... 5

Some of the different types of lipids are described below in detail: .................................................... 5

Conclusion ........................................................................................................................................... 7

Reference ............................................................................................................................................. 8

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Introduction
Lipids Definition “Lipids are organic compounds that contain hydrogen, carbon, and oxygen
atoms, which forms the framework for the structure and function In the human body. Lipids are
small biological molecules which are soluble in organic solvents, such as chloroform/methanol,
and are sparingly soluble in aqueous solutions. They can be classified in a variety of ways. In one
categorization, they can be divided into two majors classes, saponifiable and nonsaponifiable
lipids, based on their reactivity with strong bases. Saponifiable lipids contain long chain carboxylic
(of fatty) acids, that are linked to an alcoholic functional group through an ester linkage. Thes e
fatty acids are released on based catalyzed ester hydrolysis. The simple classification of lipids
based on their reactivity towards bases belies the complexity of possible lipid structures as over
different lipids are found in eukaryotic cells. This complexity has led to the development of a 1000
comprehensive classification system for lipids. In this system, lipids are given a very detailed as
definition: "hydrophobic or amphipathic small molecules that may well as all-encompassing
originate entirely or in part by carbanion-based condensations of thioesters (fatty acyl,
glycerolipids, glycerophospholipids, sphingolipds, saccharolipds and polyketides) and/or by
".carbocation-based condensations of isoprene units (prenol lipids and sterol lipids)

Properties of Lipids
 Lipids are a family of organic compounds, composed of fats and oils. These
molecules yield high energy and are responsible for different functions within the
.human body. Listed below are some important characteristics of Lipids
 Lipids are oily or greasy nonpolar molecules, stored in the adipose tissue of the
.body
 Lipids are a heterogeneous group of compounds, mainly composed of hydrocarbon
.chains
 molecules, which provide energy for different life Lipids are energy-rich organic
.processes
 Lipids are a class of compounds distinguished by their insolubility in water and
solubility in nonpolar solvents. Lipids are important in biological systems because
they form the cell membrane, a mechanical barrier that divides a cell from the
.external environment

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Lipid Structure
Lipids are the polymers of fatty acids that contain a long, non-polar hydrocarbon chain with a small
.polar region containing oxygen

Types of Lipids
live, Within these two major classes of lipids, there are several specific types of lipids important to
.including fatty acids, triglycerides, glycerophospholipids, sphingolipids, and steroids

Simple Lipids

.Esters of fatty acids with various alcohols

.Fats: Esters of fatty acids with glycerol. Oils are fats in the liquid state-1

Waxes: Esters of fatty acids with higher molecular weight monohydric alcohols Complex -2
Lipids

.Esters of fatty acids containing groups in addition to alcohol and a fatty acid

Phospholipids: Lipids containing, in addition to fatty acids and alcohol, a phosphoric acid -1
residue. They frequently have nitrogencontaining bases and other substituents, eg, in
glycerophospholipids the alcohol is glycerol and in sphingophospholipids the alcohol is
.sphingosine

.Glycolipids (glycosphingolipids): Lipids containing a fatty acid, sphingosine, and carbohydrate-2

Other complex lipids: Lipids such as sulfolipids and amino lipids. Lipoproteins may also be -3
placed in this category

Precursor and Derived Lipids

Fatty Acids
Fatty acids are carboxylic acids (or organic acid), often with long aliphatic tails (long chains),
.either saturated or unsaturated

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 :Saturated fatty acids

When a fatty acid is saturated it is an indication that there are no carbon-carbon double bonds. The
saturated fatty acids have higher melting points than unsaturated acids of the corresponding size
.due to their ability to pack their molecules together thus leading to a straight rod-like shape

:Unsaturated fatty acids

If a fatty acid has more than one double bond then this is an indication that it is an unsaturated
fatty acid. “Most naturally occurring fatty acids contain an even number of carbon atoms and are
s) that create a )unbranched.” Unsaturated fatty acids, on the other hand, have a cis-double bond
.kink in their structure which doesn’t allow them to group their molecules in straight rod-like shape

Role of Fats
Fats play several major roles in our body. Some of the important roles of fats are mentioned
:below

 .Fats incorrect amounts are necessary for the proper functioning of our body
 Many fat-soluble vitamins need to be associated with fats in order to be effectively
.absorbed by the body. They also provide insulation to the body They are an
efficient way to store energy for longer periods

:Some of the different types of lipids are described below in detail

Waxes are “esters” (an organic compound made by replacing the hydrogen with acid by an alkyl or
another organic group) formed from long-chain carboxylic acids and long-alcohols. Waxes are seen
all over in nature. The leaves and fruits of many plants have waxy coatings, which may protect
them from dehydration and small predators. The feathers of birds and the fur of some animals have
similar coatings which serve as a water repellent. Carnauba wax is valued for its toughness and
.water resistance (great for car wax)

Phospholipids-2

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Membranes are chiefly made of phospholipids which are Phosphoacylglycerols. Triacylglycerols
and phosphoacylglycerols are similar however the terminal OH group of the phosphoacylglycerol
is esterified with phosphoric acid instead of fatty acid which leads to the formation of phosphatidic
acid. The name phospholipid comes from the fact that phosphoacylglycerols are lipids that contain
.a phosphate group

Steroids-3

The chemical messengers in our bodies are known as hormones which are organic compounds
synthesized in glands and delivered by the bloodstream to certain tissues in order to stimulate or
inhibit the desired process. Steroids are a type of hormone which is usually recognized by their
one five-membered ring, as shown tetracyclic skeleton, consisting of three fused six-membered and
in the diagram above. The four rings are designated as A, B, C & D as noted in blue, and the
.numbers in red represent the carbons

Cholesterol-4

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  Cholesterol is waxy like substance, found only in animal source foods.
Triglycerides, LDL, HDL, VLDL are different types of cholesterol found in the
.blood cells
 Cholesterol is an important lipid found in the cell membrane. It is a sterol, which
means that cholesterol is a combination of steroid and alcohol. In the human body,
.cholesterol is synthesized in the liver
 These compounds are biosynthesized by all living cells and are essential for the
.structural component of the cell membrane
 In the cell membrane, the steroid ring structure of cholesterol provides a rigid
hydrophobic structure that helps boost the rigidity of the cell membrane. Without
.cholesterol, the cell membrane would be too fluid
 It is an important component of cell membranes and is also the basis for the
synthesis of other steroids, including the sex hormones estradiol and testosterone,
as well as other steroids such as cortisone and vitamin

Conclusion
Lipids are a class of macromolecules that are nonpolar and hydrophobic in nature. Major types
include fats and oils, waxes, phospholipids, and steroids. Fats are a stored form of energy and are
also known as triacylglycerols or triglycerides. Fats are made up of fatty acids and either glycerol
.or sphingosine

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Reference

1. https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007%2F978-1-4615-3862

2. https://byjus.com/biology/lipids

3. https://www.britannica.com/science/lipid

4. https://www.jbc.org/site/home

5. https://academic.oup.com

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