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Fats and Lipids: What Is the Difference? Essay

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1. Lipids
A lipid is a group of naturally occurring molecules. That group includes fats, waxes, steroids, fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, and K) phospholipids, etc. They are broadly defined as hydrophobic or amphiphilic small molecules. The amphiphilic molecules form structures such as vesicles, liposomes, and membranes in an aqueous environment.They are insoluble in water, yet soluble in alcohol. (Human Biology)
Lipids contain carbon, hydrogen and oxygen but they have far less oxygen than carbohydrates. They have high melting points. (Human Biology) The saturated acids have a higher melting point than unsaturated acids. Lipids can be extracted from plants and animals using solvents such as ether, chloroform and acetone. (Chemistry:…show more content…
If a person doesn’t get enough of these unsaturated fats, they can see problems such as skin problems or a delay of growth. These types of lipids are typically seen in foods such as canola oil, fatty fish, and soybean oil. (Diet for a Small Planet)
Saturated fats, however, can put your body at a risk of bad cholesterol, heart problems, and many other harmful health risks. They usually come from foods from animals, such as meat, milk, and butter. Those foods tend to have a high concentration of saturated fats.
There is a fat type that is worse than saturated fats. They are trans-fats. These types of lipids can actually hurt the function of the membrane receptors that help the body clean out cholesterol from the blood. These kinds of fats occur when unsaturated oils are hydrogenated. (Diet for a Small Planet)
3. The difference between fats and lipids
“Although all fats are lipids, not all lipids are fats.” Fats are only one type of lipid. Lipids include a wide variety of different molecules. A “lipid” is a general name that is assigned to a group of fat soluble compounds found in the tissues of plants and animals. They compose the building blocks of structure and function of living cells. (Combining Forms)
Fats have become synonymous with lipids, but really, they are just a sub-group of lipids. They are known as triglycerides. Fats are the fatty acid esters of glycerol and are the primary energy base of animals. The energy bases are used for storing energy
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