Lipids are not defined by the presence of specific functional groups, as carbohydrates are, but by a physical property-solubility. Furthermore, without lipids in our diets, we would be deficient in the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K. They serve as protective padding and insulation for vital organs. They are a major component of the membranes of the 10 trillion cells in our bodies. Lipids have other biological functions besides energy storage. We store our reserve energy in lipid form, which requires far less space than the same amount of energy stored in carbohydrate form.

Our capacity for storing carbohydrates for later use is limited to tucking away a bit of glycogen in the liver or in muscle tissue. Our bodies use carbohydrates, primarily in the form of glucose, for our immediate energy needs. Although the high caloric content of fats may be bad news for the dieter, it says something about the efficiency of nature’s designs. Gram for gram, they pack more than twice the caloric content of carbohydrates: the oxidation of fats and oils supplies about 9 kcal of energy for every gram oxidized, whereas the oxidation of carbohydrates supplies only 4 kcal/g. zip file containing this book to use offline, simply click here.įats and oils, found in many of the foods we eat, belong to a class of biomolecules known as lipids. You can browse or download additional books there. More information is available on this project's attribution page.įor more information on the source of this book, or why it is available for free, please see the project's home page. Additionally, per the publisher's request, their name has been removed in some passages. However, the publisher has asked for the customary Creative Commons attribution to the original publisher, authors, title, and book URI to be removed. Normally, the author and publisher would be credited here. This content was accessible as of December 29, 2012, and it was downloaded then by Andy Schmitz in an effort to preserve the availability of this book. See the license for more details, but that basically means you can share this book as long as you credit the author (but see below), don't make money from it, and do make it available to everyone else under the same terms.

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