Glycerides are Glycerol containing lipids
Glycerides can be classified into
1. Neutral
glycerides and
2. Phosphoglyceride
This is a
simplified 6 minute video on What are Glycerides? Nuetral glycerides vs Phosphoglycerides
for better understanding
What are
neutral glycerides?
1. Neutral glycerides are nonionic and non-polar.
They are electrically neutral; therefore called as neutral glycerides.
Example: Triglycerides (fats)
Fats are the most abundant lipid, made up of two types of
smaller molecules: glycerol and fatty acids
Glycerol is a 3-C alcohol with a hydroxyl group
attached to each carbon
A fatty acid consists of a carboxyl group
attached to a long carbon skeleton
In a fat, 3 fatty acids are joined to 1 glycerol by
ester linkage, forming triacylglycerol, or triglyceride.
Fats are solid at room temperature whereas oils are
liquid at room temperature.
Functions
- Fats provide energy for living organisms.
- Provide insulation and protection for body organs
- Transport fat-soluble vitamins
2. What are
Phosphoglycerides?
Phosphoglycerides are fatty acid esters of
glycerol phosphate
A phoshoplipid is made up of , 1 Glycerol + 2 Fatty
acid+ phosphate group + attached alcohol or R group can be choline, ethanolamine, serine.
Functions of phospholipids
- Phospholipids forms cell membranes, make it dynamic, selective permeability
- Involved in exocytosis, endocytosis and phagocytosis
- Assembling and transporting lipoproteins in blood
- It work as emulsifiers in the body; to make micelles for efficient fatty-substance absorption
- Recent studies suggest that it has an important role of wetting of surfaces in joints, alveoli and other parts of the body requiring smooth motion.
