Lipid concept
The lipids are organic biomolecules containing chain hydrocarbon, essential for maintaining the structure and function of living cells. They are made up of mainly carbon, hydrogen and oxygen, but they can also contain phosphorus, nitrogen and sulfur.
It is a very heterogeneous group, both in their chemical composition and in in their functions.
The lipids are characterized by:
- They are insoluble in water but are soluble in nonpolar organic solvents, such as benzene, ether, or acetone. This is because they are made up of hydrocarbon chains with many CC and CH bonds. These bonds have no polarity, so there is no interaction with the water molecules.
- Its appearance is greasy. They have a characteristic shine and are unctuous to the touch.
Video: Lipids from Bio [ESO] sphere (16:40 minutes).