Lipids as Important Molecules - Essay Example

Intro: While the uneducated half of the world may walk around not knowing how important lipids are to every day function, those of us who do know just how important lipids are. Lipids are very important molecules that help our body in many different important functions and also make up important layers in our body’s cells and cell membranes. Lipids are also sometimes knows as fats, because they are used to store energy by our body, beside their important roles in the building of cell membranes. These very important molecules are vital to these important bodily functions, and without them we wouldn’t have the stability at the cellular level that these molecules are able to provide for our body. Many of these important molecules are vital to our very existence, and without them we would not be able to survive. At the same time however, to many lipids has recently been proven to give rise to bad health conditions, so it is important to keep a proper balance of these molecules, as to few or to many of these vital molecules can be extremely harmful, even deadly. Our bodies need these fats in their system, and we also need them in our diet. Without these important fats, our body would not be able to function; our cells would not have the right layers needed for most of their processes, and we would eventually die. Lipids are extremely important molecules, that are vital to our existence, and we need to make sure to keep a proper amount of them in our body. Body: Lipids are just one of the many molecules that help our body tick. Often unseen or unknown by the majority of the community, most people take these highly important molecules for granted, not even knowing what they are as they keep their body working properly. The lipid molecule is vital to human life, and without it we would not be able to function. Understanding this complex molecule is also important, so one can know exactly how this versatile molecule helps keep our body working, and how they help our body partake in many of its important life functions and reactions. By a scientific definition, lipids are “an amphiphilic class of hydrocarbon-containing organic compounds”( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lipids). They have several important qualities that give rise to their importance in the human body and cellular construction. One of these qualities is the importance of the structure of lipids. Lipids have a long hydrocarbon tail, which is hydrophobic and does not like water. On the other end of the lipids however, is a hydrophilic head, which does like water. This important structural component of lipids is what helps them form to make cell walls, with the heads of the lipids on the outside and the water phobic tails on the inside. Lipids are also important because they store fats in animals, and are also important signaling molecules (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lipids). These lipids, or fatty acids “can be described as long-chain monocarboxylic acids and have a general structure of CH3(CH2)nCOOH. The length of the chain usually ranges from 12 to 24, always with an even number of carbons. When the carbon chain contains no double bonds, it is a saturated chain. If it contains one or more such bonds, it is unsaturated. The presence of double bonds generally reduces the melting point of fatty acids. Furthermore, unsaturated fatty acids can occur either in cis or trans geometric isomers. In naturally occurring fatty acids, the double bonds are in the cis-configuration.” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lipids). There are also important lipids know as glycerides, which are lipid molecules that contain a glycerol core structure with one or more fatty acycl group. These important molecules are what help store fats in animals and plants. These molecules are also important in many cell’s plasma membranes, as well as in the intracellular membranes of certain organelles. These lipids “are subject to a variety of functions in the cell: for instance, the lipophilic and polar ends can be released from specific phospholipids through enzyme-catalysed hydrolysis to generate secondary messengers involved in signal transduction. In the case of phosphatidylinositol, the head group can be enzymatically modified by the addition of one, two or three phosphate groups, this constituting another mechanism of cell signalling. While phospholipids are the major component of biological membranes, other non-glyceride lipid components like sphingolipids and sterols (such as cholesterol in animal cell membranes) are also found in biological membranes”( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lipids). Lipids also play a very important role in the make up of cell and cell walls. Often know as a lipid bi-layer, this formation of lipids against themselves is important to many cellular functions inside an organism. When these lipids are in a water environment, the lipids form a double layer, in which they line up tail end to tail end, with the water liking heads of the lipids on the outside. This phospholipid bi-layer is very important to many functions at the cellular level. It helps the tail end of the lipid minimize its contact with water, and keeps the water liking head in the water environment. It also forms a semi-permeable membrane outside the cell, which is important when a substance is trying to cross the membrane. Lipids are what help our cells keep these important barriers, and are very important to many of the cell communication processes. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lipids). Lipids are also very important in the health and nutrition of animals and humans. Many of the lipids are “essential to life”( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lipids), however is has recently been shown that to many of a certain lipid is harmful. This is the case with cholesterol, and even trans fat acids, which have been known to increase the risk in heart disease and other diseases. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lipids). All animals also use these important molecules for energy storage, which is just another reason they are so important to the life functions of animals and humans. Conclusion: Without lipids, our body would not work. Many of our body’s functions, from energy storage, and other various processes, to the building of our cells at the cellular level are all done with lipids. These very important molecules help make up our body as we know it, and without them our body would not be able to function. Lipids play important roles in many of our body’s most important functions. The double lipid bi-layer is extremely important in the cellular makeup of our body, and helps regulate intercellular communication and traffic between out cells. It forms a semi-permeable layer which regulates what can come across and into our cells, which is a very important job. Without these molecules are cells would not be able to be arranged how they are and would not have the protection of the lipid bi-layer. Lipids are also important to the health of animals and humans. They are important because they can store energy, and are one of the main ways in which energy can be stored. To many lipids can also be bad for a person, so it is important to try to keep low cholesterol and trans fat intake, as to much of these lipids can be dangerous to a person’s health. Lipids are extremely important molecules that help keep our body running, and without them our body would simply not be able to function. Read More