lipids are an important group of organic macromolecules from which all living things are formed, fats, oils and waxes are some examples of lipids they share the characteristic that they are partially insoluble in water and public ohl and quite soluble in solvents not polar such as ether, benzene, acetone, chloroform, among others, liquids, such as other organic molecules, are composed mainly of carbon , hydrogen, and oxygen atoms, but are generally characterized by being partially insoluble in water. Among their most important functions, the formation of molecules stands out. cell membranes cell signaling and energy storage very often we hear that in order to maintain good health and eat properly we need to consume few fats, so we generally associate these compounds with diseases or very negative aspects for our health, however fats are essential for the functioning of e all living things and many of them must be acquired by humans from foods such as seeds, oils, nuts, vegetables and certain products of animal origin characteristics and structure of lipids are generally antipathic molecules have a polar region hydrophilic water-soluble region and another hydrophobic and water-insoluble a-polar region are composed mostly of chains of carbon atoms linked by linear or cyclic single, double or triple bonds and hydrogen atoms at one end of which there is usually a known chemical group as a car box group and what gives them an acidic characteristic they are called fatty acids they have high molecular weights so they also have high melting points the main types of bonds through which these molecules are joined to each other are hydrogen bonds and bander walsh interactions some lipids are found as liquids at room temperature but other s can be found as crystalline solids are soluble molecules in organic compounds such as alcohol, chloroform, acetone among others but partially insoluble in water are usually colorless and odorless and tasteless molecules without ionic charge liquids have a high molecular weight that gives them a high The melting point is higher in lipids that contain more carbon atoms, but this melting point decreases when lipids are fatty acids with unsaturated hydrocarbon chains. Function of lipids. Lipids form a very diverse group of molecules both from the From a structural point of view and with respect to their functions, functionally speaking, these molecules play some important roles. Formation of biological membranes. All living beings in the biosphere are made up of organs and tissues, which in turn are made up of billions of cells. The cells, then, are the basic units of living things and p We can say that they are the smallest living structure that exists regardless of the type of cell in question, all cells are structures separated from the environment that surrounds them by a membrane that we know as the plasma membrane for some unicellular organisms such as bacteria and archaea . For example, the plasma membrane is the only membrane that characterizes them, while for other organisms such as animals, plants and fungi, the cells have complex systems of membranous compartments inside, whatever the type of membrane we refer to, these structures that function in the separation of the intracellular and extracellular environments they are formed by ordered layers of different lipids and associated proteins and energy storage for most vertebrate animals and for some vertebrate animals lipids represent a very special source of energy storage that is form compounds that When metabolically processed, they release large amounts of useful energy to perform different cellular functions in mammals such as us humans. The lipid molecules most used for energy storage are called triglycerides. Triglycerides are made up of three chains of fatty acids, one type of molecule. very common in certain lipids attached to a glycerol molecule of three carbon atoms from an energetic point of view, triglycerides contain much more energy than carbohydrates and it is for this reason that they are the main source of energy storage in animals that hibernate for For example, triglycerides accumulate in adipose fatty tissues in large quantities so that they help keep these animals alive during the period when they do not usually feed very often intracellular signaling, in addition to the above functions, lipids also participate in very important processes for all cells l Communication between the external and internal environment some lipids present in cell membranes can serve as chemical messengers that communicate messages throughout the cells and generate the necessary responses to maintain internal homeostasis and adapt to the local environment in our body many acids Fatty acids participate in the mediation of important neurological processes, especially in what has to do with the propagation of depolarization waves in neurons and other functions. Lipids are also essential components for many reactions , either as an integral part of an enzyme or as transporters. of electrons, some organisms use lipids on the surface of their membranes to absorb light, while there are lipids that are essential for the association of proteins to cell membranes, whether peripheral or integral, certain essential hormones in humans are made up of lipids or are derived from These, for example, steroid hormones, the female sex hormone estrogen, the male sex hormone testosterone, among others, lipids also serve some animals to float and to insulate their bodies from low temperatures , types of lipids, the group of lipids is extremely diverse and heterogeneous so its classification is usually a bit confusing one of the easiest ways to separate them is based on their structure with which there are simple lipids, complex lipids and associated simple lipids are those composed of glycerol es perez and fatty acids fats and heras belong to this group fats can be solid or liquid at room temperature oil for example is a liquid fat many waxes on the other hand are solid at room temperature such as beeswax for example when a fat is generally hydrolyzed releases fatty acids and glycerol molecules and when a wax is hydrolyzed the products released are fatty acids and long-chain alcohols compound lipids compound lipids are those lipids that are part of larger compounds linked to molecules that do not necessarily have lipid characteristics sugars proteins nitrogenous groups among others the most important representatives of this group are the phospholipids the glück or lipids and lipoproteins phospholipids for example are a fundamental part of the basic structure of most biological membranes when a phospholipid is hydrolyzed the products that are released are fatty acids and glycerol phosphoric acid and nitrogenous alcohols glucose lipids on the other hand are formed by fatty acids and glycerol sphingosine and carbohydrate molecules sugars finally lipoproteins are proteins that are linked to lipid portions of different nature associated lipids are very large lipid macromolecules such as pigments fat-soluble vitamins and sterols many of these lipids are used to store energy examples of lipids in nature there are hundreds of interesting examples of lipids and we will see some of them below dinners are a very important type of liquid they generally have protective functions plants produce waxes on their leaves to avoid losing water by evaporation and our ears contain a type of wax that works to protect our hearing organs against the introduction of particles or microorganisms waxes are very impermeable to water and triglycerides triglycerides are a very important source of energy for mammalian animals consist in a glycerol molecule that has three carbon atoms to which three molecules of fatty acids with different numbers of carbon atoms are attached fats such as those contained in dried fruits in the seeds of some vegetables and in the flesh of some fruits such as olives or avocados are very important lipids for what s human beings, the oil extracted from coconut meat, for example, is rich in different types of lipids such as lauric acid with 12 carbons, mystic acid with 14 carbons and palmitic acid with 16 carbons phospholipids phospholipids are among the most Important for living beings, these molecules are the ones that form the main block of biological membranes. They are composed of a glycerol skeleton that is built on two molecules of fatty acids and a phosphate group that can bind to different additional groups, phosphatidylcholine and phosphate. minot and sol are good examples of steroidal phospholipids another example of lipids are steroids natural steroids are present in the body and can include cholesterol which is the most common type estrogen testosterone bile salts found in intestinal bile the chemical cortisol secreted by the body, cholesterol is a sterol-type lipid that, unlike phospholipids, os has a cyclic and non-linear structure of carbon atoms this molecule is essential for the membranes of animal cells since it provides a certain fluidity or solidity in certain circumstances palmitic acid is a long-chain saturated fatty acid 16 carbon atoms is the main reserve substance of vertebrate animals and is the product and indigenous mind by lipogenesis this fatty acid serves as a base molecule for the synthesis of other compounds in addition to the oxidation of a single mold this compound produces about 2.59 moles of atp which represents a large energy supply for vertebrates especially in contrast to the oxidation of carbohydrates and proteins is fixed myelin is found in the cell membrane of all organisms and many studies have focused on its function and structure since they are also part of the myelin sheath that covers the axons of the neurons of animals the myelin sphinx belongs to the group of the sphinx lipids and in the human being this is the most abundant lipid spin in the entire body is characterized by its kitchen espn skeleton that is linked by a mida bond to a polar group that is usually phosphatidylcholine estrogen the so- called female hormone is a lipid is produced primarily by the ovaries and is responsible for the maintenance of female secondary sexual characteristics testosterone the so-called male hormone is a lipid is produced primarily by the testes and is responsible for the maintenance of male secondary sexual characteristics vitamins water-soluble vitamins are lipids most of them are stored in the liver or other organs of the body as for example vitamin a vitamin of vitamin e or vitamin k