The Lipid Metabolism section contains posts/pages on the basic biochemistry of biological lipids, the biosynthesis and catabolism of fatty acids, the synthesis of triglycerides, the synthesis of cholesterol, the synthesis and metabolism of the lipoproteins, the synthesis of bile acids, the synthesis of complex bioactive lipids such as the various eicosanoids, the clinically relevant omega-3 and omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), and diseases that result from defects in the various pathways of lipid synthesis and catabolism. Additional posts/pages included in this section cover metabolism of the endocannabinoids and the metabolism of ethanol (alcohol).
Last Updated: March 4, 2024 Introduction to Sphingosine and the Ceramides The sphingolipids, like the phospholipids, are composed of a polar head group and two nonpolar tails. The core of sphingolipids is the long-chain amino alcohol, sphingosine. The...
Last Updated: April 25, 2024 Introduction to Lipid Synthesis Pathways All cells possess the capacity to synthesize fatty acids and phospholipids as a means to ensure continuous integrity of existing membranes as well as in the synthesis of new membranes. However, the...
Last Updated: June 20, 2023 Pathways of Ethanol Metabolism Ethanol is a small two carbon alcohol that, due to its small size and alcoholic hydroxyl group is soluble in both aqueous and lipid environments. This allows ethanol to freely pass from bodily fluids into...
Last Updated: March 4, 2023 Composition of Krill Oils The term Krill is derived from the Norwegian description for "young fry of fish". Krill are marine crustaceans that belong to the order Euphausiacea. Although there are many species of Krill only Antarctic...
Last Updated: October 20, 2023 Introduction to the Endocannabinoids The discovery of the endocannabinoids came about as a result of the identification of the major psychoactive component of marijuana, Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC, or just THC). Marijuana is...
Last Updated: December 14, 2023 Introduction to Lipid Mediators of Inflammation Lipid mediators of inflammation belong to the large family of bioactive lipids termed oxylipins. Oxylipins are derived from omega-6 and omega-3 PUFA as well as from the essential fatty...
Last Updated: March 8, 2024 Introduction to Bioactive Lipids and Their Receptors Originally fats were generally considered mere sources of energy and as components of biological membranes. Aside from the eicosanoids (from Ancient Greek eíkosi for 20) few...
Last Updated: January 19, 2024 Omega-3, and -6 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids (PUFA) The term omega, as it relates to fatty acids, refers to the terminal carbon atom farthest from the functional carboxylic acid group (–COOH). The designation of a polyunsaturated fatty...
Last Updated: March 5, 2024 Intestinal Uptake of Lipids In order for the body to make use of dietary lipids, they must first be absorbed from the small intestine. A complete discussion of lipid digestion and absorption is presented in the Digestion and Digestive...
Last Updated: March 19, 2024 Bile Acid Synthesis and Utilization The end products of cholesterol utilization are the bile acids. Indeed, the synthesis of the bile acids is the major pathway of cholesterol catabolism in mammals. Although several of the...