Lipid
Another word for “fat.” (Please see the various meanings of fat.) A lipid is chemically defined as a substance that is insoluble in water and soluble in alcohol, ether, and chloroform.
Lipids are an important component of living cells. Together with carbohydrates and proteins, lipids are the main constituents of plant and animal cells.
Cholesterol and triglycerides are lipids. Lipids are easily stored in the body. They serve as a source of fuel and are an important constituent of the structure of cells.
Lipids include fatty acids, neutral fats, waxes and steroids (like cortisone). Compound lipids (lipids complexed with another type of chemical compound) comprise the lipoproteins, glycolipids and phospholipids.
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- Lipid profile
A pattern of lipids in the blood. A lipid profile usually includes the levels of total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, triglycerides, and the calculated low-density lipoprotein (LDL) ‘cholesterol.
- Lipid storage diseases
A series of disorders due to inborn errors in lipid metabolism resulting in the abnormal accumulation of lipids in the wrong places (Examples include Gaucher, Fabry and Niemann-Pick diseases and metachromatic leukodystrophy).
- Lipids
Whereas the everyday term “fat” comes from the Old English (from “faett” meaning crammed or adorned), the more scientific term “lipid” comes from the Greek “lipos” which referred to animal fat or vegetable oil.
- Lipodystrophy
A disorder of adipose (fatty) tissue characterized by a selective loss of body fat. Patients with lipodystrophy have a tendency to develop insulin resistance, diabetes, a high triglyceride level (hypertriglyceridemia), and fatty liver. There are numerous forms of lipodystrophy that are genetic (inherited) or acquired (not inherited). The genetic forms of lipodystrophy include congenital generalized […]
- Lipodystrophy syndrome
A disturbance of lipid (fat) metabolism that involves the partial or total absence of fat, and often abnormal deposition and distribution of fat in the body. There are a number of different lipodystrophy syndromes. Some of them are present at birth (congenital), and others are acquired later. Some are genetic (inherited), and others are not. […]