LIPIDS - CHOLESTEROL RICH

Agricultural Uses

Lipids, diverse group of organic compounds in living organisms, are insoluble in water but soluble in organic solvents such as chloroform, benzene, etc. Lipids are present in all living cells, but their proportion varies from tissue to tissue.
Lipids are broadly classified as complex lipids and simple lipids, the former being the esters of long chain fatty acids (like glycerides, glycolipids, phospholipids and waxes), and the latter being devoid of fatty acids and inclusive of steroids and terpenes.
Lipids have a wide variety of functions in living organisms. Fats and oils are convenient means of storing food energy in plants and animals. Triglycerides accumulate in certain areas, such as adipose tissues in human beings and in plant seeds, where they represent a form of energy storage. Phospholipids and sterols (such as cholesterol) are major components of cell or plasma membranes. Waxes provide vital water proofing for body surfaces. Terpenes include vitamins A, E and K and phytol; the latter is a component of chlorophyll and occurs in essential oils such as menthol and camphor. Steroids include adrenal hormones, sex hormones and bile acids.
Lipids can combine with proteins to form lipoproteins (like cell membranes in bacterial cell walls), and may associate with polysaccharides to form lipopolysaccharides.