Lipids are hydrophobic compounds classified as fatty acids or sterols. Subscribe to Nourishable at    / nourishable  

This video is part 1 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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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: Eva Elijas from Pexels, Jorge Stolfi, CC BY-SA 4.0 & Jacopo Werther, CC0, Martin Lutz, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Lipids are compounds that are soluble in organic solvents like acetone and chloroform and insoluble in water. This makes lipids hydrophobic. Water is the solvent in humans, therefore lipids require specialized processes for digestion, absorption, transport, and storage. The two basic classifications of lipids are fatty acids and sterols. Fatty acids have a hydrocarbon tail and a carboxyl group which makes it an acid. The hydrocarbon tail can have single and or double bonds. Double bonds cause a kink in the fatty acid tail. Sterols have a ring structure called a steroid nucleus with an attached hydrocarbon tail. Cholesterol is the primary sterol in animals. It serves as the precursor for many compounds like hormones, and also plays functions directly as cholesterol in the body. Plants don’t make cholesterol. Plants have a different type of sterol called phytosterols. This means that plant foods contain no cholesterol.