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. Lipids are the
main constituents of plant and animal cells. Cholesterol and triglycerides are
lipids.
Fatty Acids
The common feature of these lipids is
that they are all esters of moderate to long chain fatty acids. Acid or
base-catalyzed hydrolysis yields the component fatty acid, some examples of
which are given in the following table, together with the alcohol component of
the lipid. These long-chain carboxylic acids are generally referred to by their
common names, which in most cases reflect their sources. Natural fatty acids
may be saturated or unsaturated, and as the following data indicate, the
saturated acids have higher melting points than unsaturated acids of
corresponding size.
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