Lipids are a large group of naturally occurring compound, characterized only by their water repellant property hence called hydrophobic. Their solubility in organic solvent is variable. Some are soluble in polar organic solvent like alcohol and other in non-polar solvents. Like hexane, benzene etc although many proteins and polysaccharides are also not soluble in water, they do not repel water. They are easily wetted by water, may absorb and swell with water hence called hydrophilic unlike the protein or carbohydrate the lipid have no specific functional group or linkage characterizing all of them although a majority belong to the group of oils and fats.
Lipids like carbohydrates provide energy for work and life processes. They also form part of some structure in the cell membrane, wall of tissue and organ. The lipids also provide a non-aqueous medium in the body which helps in regulation of transport of many chemicals, due to their partition between lipid and aqueous layers. Thus lipids play an important role in living organism. Lipids also occur in conjugation with protein and are termed lipoproteins.
They may be classified into
- Simple lipid
- Phospholipids
- Complex lipid.
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