The following points highlight the four main groups of lipids. The groups are: 1. Triglycerides 2. Phospholipids (Membrane Lipids) 3. Steroids 4. Wax. Lipids: Group # 1. Triglycerides: One important group of stored lipids is triglycerides, a category that includes fats and oils. Triglycerides are composed of a single molecule of glycerol bound to three fatty acids (Fig. 7.1). Glycerol [...]
In this article we will discuss about fats and their distribution in plants. Introduction to Fats: Fats or glycerides or acylglycerols are esters of high molecular weight fatty acids and trihydroxy alcohol, the glycerol. Most of the glycerides in nature have all three hydroxyl groups of glycerol esterified with fatty acids and are called as triglycerides (or 'fats'). For example, [...]
The below mentioned article provides an explanatory note on the structure of Phospholipids. Phospholipids are a very important class of lipids containing phosphorous bound in a diester linkage. The phospholipids are very important structural components of all cell membranes including those of the cell organelles. Some phospholipids like lecithin's may also play an important role in transport of ions across [...]