Lipids constitute a group of naturally occurring molecules that include fats, waxes, sterols, fat-soluble vitamins (such as vitamins

A, D, E, and K), monoglycerides, diglycerides, triglycerides, phospholipids, and others. The main biological functions of lipids include energy storage, signaling, and acting as structural components of cell membranes. Lipids may be broadly defined as hydrophobic or amphiphilic small molecules; the amphiphilic nature of some lipids allows them to form structures such as vesicles, liposomes, or membranes in an aqueous environment. Biological lipids originate entirely or in part from two distinct types of biochemical subunits or "building-blocks": ketoacyl and isoprene groups.[4] Using this approach, lipids may be divided into eight categories: fatty acids, glycerolipids, glycerophospholipids, sphingolipids, saccharolipids, and polyketides (derived from condensation of ketoacyl subunits); and sterol lipids and prenol lipids (derived from condensation of isoprene subunits). Although the term lipid is sometimes used as a synonym for fats, fats are a subgroup of lipids called triglycerides. Lipids also encompass molecules such as fatty acids and their derivatives (including tri-, di-, monoglycerides, and phospholipids), as well as other sterol-containing metabolites such as cholesterol. [6] Although humans and other mammals use various biosynthetic pathways to both break down and synthesize lipids, some essential lipids cannot be made this way and must be obtained from the diet. Common name Myristoleic acid Palmitoleic acid Sapienic acid Oleic acid Examples of Unsaturated Fatty Acids Chemical structure CH3(CH2)3CH=CH(CH2)7COOH CH3(CH2)5CH=CH(CH2)7COOH CH3(CH2)8CH=CH(CH2)4COOH CH3(CH2)7CH=CH(CH2)7COOH cis-9 cis-9 cis-6 cis-9 trans-9 trans-11 cis,cis-9,12 trans,trans9,12 cis,cis,cis9,12,15 cis,cis,cis,cis58,11,14 cis,cis,cis,cis,cis5,8,11,14,17 cis-13 cis,cis,cis,cis,cis, cis4,7,10,13,16, 19 x C: D 14 :1 16 :1 16 :1 18 :1 18 :1 18 :1 18 :2 18 :2 18 :3 20 :4 20 :5 22 :1 22 :6 n x n 5 n 7 n 10 n 9 n 9 n 7 n 6 n 6 n 3 n 6 n 3 n 9 n 3

Elaidic acid CH3(CH2)7CH=CH(CH2)7COOH Vaccenic acid Linoleic acid Linoelaidic acid -Linolenic acid Arachidoni c acid Eicosapent aenoic acid Erucic acid Docosahex aenoic acid CH3(CH2)5CH=CH(CH2)9COOH CH3(CH2)4CH=CHCH2CH=CH(CH2)7COOH CH3(CH2)4CH=CHCH2CH=CH(CH2)7COOH CH3CH2CH=CHCH2CH=CHCH2CH=CH(CH2)7COOH CH3(CH2)4CH=CHCH2CH=CHCH2CH=CHCH2CH=CH(CH2)3 COOHNIST CH3CH2CH=CHCH2CH=CHCH2CH=CHCH2CH=CHCH2CH= CH(CH2)3COOH CH3(CH2)7CH=CH(CH2)11COOH CH3CH2CH=CHCH2CH=CHCH2CH=CHCH2CH=CHCH2CH= CHCH2CH=CH(CH2)2COOH