What is lipid metabolism?

lipid metabolism is a process by which fatty acids are cleaved, divided into energy or stored in the human body for later energy consumption. These fatty acids are part of triglycerides that make up most of the fats that people eat in foods such as vegetable oils and animal products. Triglycerides can be found in blood vessels and also stored for future energy needs in adipose tissue cells, better known as body fat and liver cells. Although the main source of energy is the body of carbohydrates, when this source is exhausted, fatty acids in triglycerides are then divided as a backup power source. Examples of times when the body draws energy from lipid metabolism is during exercise where glycogen supply or stored form of carbohydrate glucose is used or if there is insufficient carbohydrates that are also suitable for their role are also suitable for their role as storeng energy37 kilojoules), while carbohydrates supply only 4 calories (17 kilojoules) per gram. Because calories are units of energy, fats are considered an energy nutrient. Triglycerides consist of three chains of fatty acids associated with a compound containing hydrogen called glycerol, fatty acids that can be free during lipid metabolism when the body requires these calories for energy.

The first step of lipid metabolism is the consumption and digestion of triglycerides, which occur both in plant foods such as olives, nuts and avocado and animal foods such as meat, eggs and dairy products. These fats travel through the digestive tract to the intestine where they are not able to be absorbed in the form of triglycerides. Instead, they are divided by an enzyme called lipase into fatty acids and most often monoglyceride, the only chain of attached fatty acids to glycerol. These divided triglycerides then moohou be absorbed by the intestines and re -assembled into their original form before the transport of chylomicrons, a type of substance similar to cholesterol known as lipoprotein, into the lymphatic system.

From the lymphatic system, triglycerides get into the bloodstream, where the lipid metabolism process can be completed in one of the three ways because they are either transported to the liver, muscle cells, or to fat cells where they are either stored or used for energy. If they end up in liver cells, they are converted into a type of "bad" cholesterol known as lipoprotein with very low density (VLDL) and relax into the bloodstream where they work on the transport of other lipids. Triglycerides sent to muscle cells can be oxidized in the mitochondrias of these energy cells, while those sent to fat cells will be stored until they are needed for energy later. This results in an increase in the size of Cells, visible to a person as an increase in body fat.