Essay/Term paper: Lipids

Essay, term paper, research paper:  Science Reports

Lipids


The subject I will cover is lipids. I will tell you about the description of it"
s organic compound. I will tell you where it is found. I will tell you what
the uses are in plants and animals. I will also tell you about it"s chemical
structure and give examples of types of these compounds, such as cholesterol.

The organic compound of lipids have many similarities. They are almost always
greasy, fatty, oily, or waxy. They do not dissolve in water, but they do in
other organic solvents. This is like if you get grease on your hands it is hard
to wash of because it seems to repel the water.

You can find lipids in many places. They are usually in fatty foods like butter,
salad dressing, and cooking oils. They can also be found inside of animals as
the form of fat. Lipids are always found in fat because when you get a build up
of lipids it forms fat.

Lipids have many uses amongst plants and animals. The main use of these are for
energy and storing energy. When they store energy they make triglycerides also
known as fat. There are also many other uses such as insulation and protection.
They are also used in making cell membranes. They make it so that the cell can
maintain it"s shape by keeping water and water-soluble compounds from passing
through it. The lipids that are waxy are usually used to make protective
coatings on the surface of plants and animals.

Since a lipid is an organic compound it contains carbon. They also contain
hydrogen and oxygen, but in some very complex chains there is also phosphorus
and/or nitrogen. Lipids are made by the dehydration synthesis of glycerol and
fatty acids. This is when three molecules of fatty acids combine with one
molecule of glycerol by taking water out of the solution. Lipids are always
huge molecules, which means they have a lot of energy like twice as much as
sugar. This is because more energy goes into making it so you get more out of
it when it is broken down. The following is what a lipid would look like.

When lipids are made they can produce many different compounds. One of those is
phospholipids. These are what help make cell membranes and keep water out of
them. They also make a very common lipid and that is cholesterol. Cholesterol
is and extremely complex lipid. It builds up on the inner walls of the arteries.
If it is built up in large amounts it can cause high blood pressure and
increase the risk of heart attacks. If this occurs than you must change your
diet and exercise to decrease the amount of cholesterol you have. Sometimes
high cholesterol levels are passed genetically and you can"t do much about it.

In this report I"ve covered the following information on lipids:

1. What the organic compound is like. 2. Where they are found. 3. What the
animals and plants use them for. 4. What the chemical makeup is. 5. I"ve also
given examples of types of compounds. 6. Explained what cholesterol is.