Lipid Metabolism Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards for Lipid Metabolism lecture notes.

Lipid Metabolism

Lipid metabolism involves the processing of triacylglycerols, fatty acids, and cholesterol.

Konrad Bloch

German scientist who won the 1964 Nobel Prize for discoveries concerning cholesterol and fatty acid metabolism.

Functions of Lipids

Membrane constituents, hormones, fat-soluble vitamins, thermal insulators, biological regulators.

Triacylglycerol

Neutral fats, composed of glycerol and three fatty acids.

Triacylglycerols (fats) as energy reserves

Highly reduced and anhydrous, providing 6 times more caloric content than carbohydrates.

Sources of Triacylglycerols

Diet, de novo biosynthesis, and adipocytes (storage).

Bile salts

Emulsifiers that aid in the transport of triacylglycerols through the bloodstream.

Lipoproteins

Complexes of lipids and proteins that transport lipids through the blood and lymph.

Chylomicrons

Transport triacylglycerols from dietary fat to peripheral tissues.

VLDL (Very Low-Density Lipoproteins)

Transport triacylglycerols from the liver to tissues.

Cholesterol Homeostasis

Process where intracellular cholesterol regulates its own level by controlling de novo cholesterol biosynthesis, formation and storage of cholesterol esters, and LDL receptor density.

Triacylglycerol lipase

Hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL) is the key enzyme.

Franz Knoop

Discovered fatty acid β-oxidation.

Fatty Acid Oxidation

Fatty acids are oxidized in a stepwise fashion, with initial attack on carbon 3 (β-carbon).

Carnitine

Activation and transport of fatty acids into mitochondria.

Malonyl-CoA

Inhibitor of carnitine acyltransferase I, preventing fatty acyl-CoA entry into mitochondria.

Peroxisomal β-Oxidation

Transfers electrons directly to oxygen, generating heat rather than energy.

α-Oxidation Pathway

Defective in Refsum’s disease, leading to accumulation of phytanic acid and neurological disorders.