Q1
What are lipids?
Lipids are organic compounds that are fatty acids or derivatives of fatty acids, which are insoluble in water but soluble in organic solvents. For eg., natural oil, steroid, waxes.
Q2
How are lipids important to our body?
Lipids play a very important role in our body. They are the structural component of the cell membrane. They help in providing energy and produce hormones in our body. They help in the proper digestion and absorption of food. They are a healthy part of our diet if taken in proper amounts. They also play an important role in signalling.
Q3
How are lipids digested?
The enzyme lipase breaks down fats into fatty acids and glycerol, which is facilitated by bile in the liver.
Q4
What is lipid emulsion?
It refers to an emulsion of lipid for human intravenous use. These are also referred to as intralipids which is the emulsion of soybean oil, glycerin and egg phospholipids. It is available in 10%, 20% and 30% concentrations.
Q5
How are lipids metabolized?
Lipid metabolism involves the oxidation of fatty acids to generate energy to synthesize new lipids from smaller molecules. The metabolism of lipids is associated with carbohydrate metabolism as the products of glucose are converted into lipids.
Q6
How are lipids released in the blood?
The medium-chain triglycerides with 8-12 carbons are digested and absorbed in the small intestine. Since lipids are insoluble in water, they are carried to the bloodstream by lipoproteins which are water-soluble and can carry the lipids internally.
Q7
What are the main types of lipids?
There are two major types of lipids- simple lipids and complex lipids. Simple lipids are esters of fatty acids with various alcohols. For eg., fats and waxes. On the contrary, complex lipids are esters of fatty acids with groups other than alcohol and fatty acids. For eg., phospholipids and sphingolipids.
Q8
What are lipids made up of?
Lipids are made up of a glycerol molecule attached to three fatty acid molecules. Such a lipid is called triglyceride.
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