Triglycerides store energy, phospholipids make membranes, and cholesterol adds rigidity to membranes. Subscribe to Nourishable at    / nourishable  

This video is part 6 of the Lipid Foundations module within a lecture series on the nutrition science of macronutrients.

Lipid Foundations Lecture playlist:    • Lipid Foundations  

Macronutrients Lecture playlist:    • Macronutrients Lectures  

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Video Production by Robbie Hyde
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Opening Motion Graphics by Jay Purugganan https://www.c9studio.com/WP/

The information in this video is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. All content, including text, graphics, images and information, contained on or available through this video is for general information purposes only.

References
Chapter 6 Lipids in Wardlaw’s Perspectives in Nutrition, 2019 (Editors: Byrd-Bredbenner, Moe, Berning and Kelley, 11th edition)
Chapter 4 - Lipids, Sterols, and their Metabolites in Modern Nutrition in Health and Disease, 2014 (Editors: Ross, Caballero, Cousins, Tucker and Ziegler; 11 edition)

Images from OpenStax Anatomy & Physiology and created with BioRender.

Triglycerides are stored inside adipocytes within the adipose or fat tissue. Triglycerides function primarily in energy storage, and also play roles in heat production, insulation, and cushioning of our organs. Phospholipids are amphipathic molecules with a hydrophobic and hydrophilic end. This structure enables them to make membranes with one side facing the aqueous environment and the other end separating from the aqueous environment. The phospholipid bilayer is the basis of all cell membranes that separates the inside from the outside of a cell. A micelle is one layer of phospholipids that is used to store lipids inside with the fatty acid tails oriented inwards. Within cell membranes, phospholipids can act as signaling molecules like a domino cascade. Cholesterol is a component of cell membranes that impart rigidity and transport as a lipid raft. Cholesterol is also the precursor for bile acids and steroid hormones like estrogen and testosterone.