Gourt > Science > Biology > Biochemistry and Molecular Biology > Biomolecules > Carbohydrates and Lipids (1)
Lipids are a class of hydrocarbon-containing organic compounds essential for the structure and function of living cells. Lipids are characterized by being water-insoluble and soluble in nonpolar organic solvents. Although the term lipid is often used as a synonym for fat, the latter is in fact a subgroup of lipids called triglycerides.
Types of lipids
Along with proteins, nucleic acids and carbohydrates, lipids are one of the major classes of biologically important molecules or biomolecules. However, unlike these other groups of molecules, lipids comprise a broader and more diverse range of structures. The term lipid really is a catch-all phrase for a wide variety of hydrocarbon-based molecules of biological origin that are predominantly nonpolar or hydrophobic ("water-fearing"), meaning that they do not interact well with polar solvents like water, and are instead soluble in less polar organic solvents. Most lipids also have some polar or hydrophilic ("water-loving") character. This makes them amphipathic or amphiphilic molecules (having both hydrophobic and hydrophilic portions). In the case of cholesterol, the polar group is a mere -OH (hydroxyl or alcohol). In the case of phospholipids, the polar groups are considerably larger and more polar. Lipids encompass a huge range of structures. They can be aliphatic or aromatic. They can be acyclic or cyclic, straight or branched, saturated or unsaturated. Lipids can be flexible or rigid. This diversity makes it impossible to define lipids on the basis of a single core structural feature or biosynthetic origin, as can be done with the other major groups of biomolecules. The basic classes of lipids are:
More on [ Lipid ]
Biopolymers :: Biochemical
Cholesterol
Cell Membrane and Adhesion :: Cell Biology
Tue, 30 Jun 2009 07:00:00 -0000
Clean water should be recognized as a human right. At the March 2009 United Nations meetings coinciding with the World Water Forum, a declaration that would recognize water as a basic human right was defeated. In this month's Editorial, the PLoS Medicine Editors argue that access to clean water should be declared a basic human right for three reasons. First, access to clean water can substantially reduce the global burden of disease caused by water-borne infections. Second, the privatization of water—as witnessed in Bolivia, Ghana, and other countries—has not effectively served the poor, who suffer the most from lack of access to clean water. Third, the prospect of global water scarcity—exacerbated by climate change, industrial pollution, and population growth—means that no country is immune to a water crisis.Image Credit: Rudhach at flickr.com
Seasonal Hunger: A Neglected Problem with Proven Solutions
Bapu Vaitla et al. Tue, 30 Jun 2009 07:00:00 -0000
Clean Water Should Be Recognized as a Human Right
Tue, 30 Jun 2009 07:00:00 -0000
Can We âHedgeâ against the Development of Antiviral Resistance among Pandemic Influenza Viruses?
David K. Shay et al. Tue, 30 Jun 2009 07:00:00 -0000
David K. Shay and Benjamin Ridenhour discuss a modeling study predicting that stockpiling a secondary antiviral for use early in a flu pandemic can forestall resistance to the primary stockpiled drug.
Pralidoxime in Acute Organophosphorus Insecticide PoisoningâA Randomised Controlled Trial
Michael Eddleston et al. Tue, 30 Jun 2009 07:00:00 -0000
In a randomized controlled trial of individuals who had taken organophosphorus insecticides, Michael Eddleston and colleagues find that there is no evidence that the addition of the antidote pralidoxime offers benefit over atropine and supportive care.
What Is the Optimal Therapy for Patients with H5N1 Influenza?
Nicholas J. White et al. Tue, 23 Jun 2009 07:00:00 -0000
Nicholas White discusses optimal dosing of oseltamivir, Robert Webster and Elena Govorkova discuss combination antiviral therapy, and Timothy Uyeki discusses clinical care of patients with H5N1.
EurekAlert! - Biology
Study identifies how tamoxifen stimulates uterine cell growth and cancer
Thu, 02 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0400
(University of California - San Francisco) University of California - San Francisco researchers have identified a new "feed-forward" pathway linking estrogen receptors in the membrane of the uterus to a process that increases local estrogen levels and promotes cell growth.
'Genetic arms race' between bacteria, viruses subject of stimulus grant
Thu, 02 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0400
(Michigan State University) The oceans teem with microscopic bacteria that produce much of Earth's oxygen as they absorb carbon dioxide greenhouse gas. But fast-mutating viruses also populate the seas, attacking marine bacteria in an ages-old evolutionary arms race. A Michigan State University researcher will probe that ancient dynamic against the backdrop of environmental and climate change, and the pivotal role played by aquatic bacteria in maintaining the Earth's biological balance.
Learning from locusts
Thu, 02 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0400
(Queen's University) A similarity in brain disturbance between insects and people suffering from migraines, stroke and epilepsy points the way toward new drug therapies to address these conditions.
Apollo Lipids - Offers an online medical education resource concerning lipid management, dyslipidemia treatment and cardiovascular disease treatment and prevention.
Meta Description: [ Providing medical professionals with a medical education resource on lipids in health and disease.
Improve lipid management, cardiovascular disease, metabolic syndrome and dyslipidemia treatment. ]
Carbohydrate Nomenclature - Detail guidelines about nomenclature of carbohydrates.
Meta Description: [ The full text of the IUPAC and IUBMB nomenclature carbohydrates ]
Carbohydrate::CHEM-ONLINE.org:: - Carbohydrate site of chem-online.org offer very detail information about carbohydrate products.
Meta Description: [ carbohydrate site of CHEM-ONLINE.org offer very detail information about carbohydrate ]
Carbohydrates - Chapter on carbohydrate chemistry, including classification, stereoisomers, glycosidic bonds, and polysaccharides, with glossary and test, from the hypertext book maintained at University of Akron.
Cyberlipid Center - Information on lipids, their history, structure, use and analysis.
Meta Description: [ All about lipids,their description,distribution,oxidation,analysis-Biology,
medicine,nutrition,pharmacology-Resources for students,technicians,scientists-Publication news,
events calendar,links. ]
Euro Fed Lipid - European federation for for national societies, focused on the science and technology of fats and oils, and improving lipid science and technology in Europe.
Meta Description: [ The European Federation for the Science and Technology of Lipids ]
German Society for Fat Science (DGF) - Promotes interdisciplinary cooperation among those involved in the scientific, medical, technological agricultural and ecological research of fats and oils.
Meta Description: [ Deutsche Gesellschaft für Fettwissenschaft DGF ]
Glycobiology Resources - Primer on monosacchardies, their derivatives, glycocongugation, biosynthesis of glycan, glycosaminoglycan and glycolipids. Chime-dependent images include glycoproteins, and links to related research, from the Structural Glycobiology Section of the National Cancer Institute, Frederick, MD.
Meta Description: [ Resources for glycobiology, including at introduction to
carbohydrates and protein-carbohydrate interactions, as well as an
overview of current glycobiology research. ]
Glycoforum - News, views and links for topics in glycoscience, maintained in Japan.
Glycomics - One day course in high-throughput methods for carbohydrate synthesis and analysis, for carbohydrate-based therapeutics at Cambridge Healthtech Institute, Cambridge, MA.
Inositols.com - Scientific resource for inositols, phosphoinositides, phosphatidylinositols and other essential cell signaling molecules.
Meta Description: [ Inositols.com the resource for cell signaling products ]
Leuchron - Research on leukotrienes, and their role as signaling molecules in chronic and degenerative diseases, at the Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden.
Lipid Analysis Unit - Providing training, literature citations specializing on lipids, fatty acids, triacylglycerols, phospholipids, glycolipids, using chromatography, NMR and electrospray mass spectrometry. Offers commercial lipid analysis and contract research through Mylnefield Research Services Ltd, at the SCRI in Scotland. UK.
Lipids Online - Provides educational resources, slide database, video presentations and webcasts for researchers, faculty, and clinicians in atherosclerosis and other lipid disorders from Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX.
Meta Description: [ Developed by Baylor College of Medicine, Lipids Online provides up-to-date resources for researchers, faculty, and clinicians in atherosclerosis and other lipid disorders. ]
Marine Lipids Laboratory - Laboratory of Comparative Biochemistry, Institute of Marine Biology, Vladivostok, Russia.
Meta Description: [ We study lipids of all classes from marine plants and animals. The priorities include studying the composition, distribution, and paths of biosynthesis of lipids; investigating trophic relations in marine communities using lipid markers; marine bacteria chemotaxonomy; structural analysis of lipid... ]
Purdue University - Whistler Center for Carbohydrate Research - Includes a description of research interests, faculty and staff, and annual reports.
Meta Description: [ Purdue University's Whistler Center for Carbohydrate Research (WCCR) provides world-class excellence in focused areas of carbohydrate research, communication related to the research areas, analytical services, and education. ]
Russian Academy of Science - Carbohydrate Chemistry Lab - Includes an overview of lab structure, who's who, research interests, publications, and databases.
Meta Description: [ Laboratory of Carbohydrate Chemistry. Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry. Russian Academy of Sciences. Moscow. Russia. ]
Saccharomics - Information archive and portal for glycomics; the study of protein-carbohydrate interactions, with examples of bioinformatics applications in engineering polysaccharides, from Klebos Ltd., Cambridge, UK.
Superfund Metabolomics Laboratory - Laboratory performs the analysis of signaling lipid messengers such as prostaglandins, leukotrienes and EETs as well as general metabolic fingerprinting of all metabolite classes.
404
UK Carbohydrate Chemistry Network - Aims to foster interdisciplinary science, bringing together scientists with interests in synthetic and medicinal carbohydrate chemistry, carbohydrate materials, structure analysis, structural biology, carbohydrate biochemistry and glycobiology. Includes a list of meetings and job opportunities.
Meta Description: [ The UK Carbohydrate Chemistry Network aims to foster interdisciplinary science, bringing together scientists with interests in synthetic and medicinal carbohydrate chemistry, carbohydrate materials, structure analysis, structural biology, carbohydrate biochemistry and glycobiology.
]
University of Georgia - Complex Carbohydrate Research Center - Research at the CCRC includes the characterization of complex glycans from a variety of plant, animal, and microbial sources. Includes a list of personnel, research interests, publications, databases, facilities, employment, and lab history.
Meta Description: [ The Complex Carbohydrate Research Center at
the University of Georgia. Research at the CCRC includes the characterization of
complex glycans from a variety of plant, animal, and microbial sources.
State-of-the-art spectroscopic and computational techniques are used to study
relationships betw... ]
Whistler Center for Carbohydrate Research - University-industry research center that conducts fundamental research related to practical applications of carbohydrates.
Meta Description: [ Purdue University's Whistler Center for Carbohydrate Research (WCCR) provides world-class excellence in focused areas of carbohydrate research, communication related to the research areas, analytical services, and education. ]
| carbohydrates and lipids | |
| Next Video | |
