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Biology vocabulary · Molecules of Life and Metabolism

Lipid

Meaning in biology, with examples

/ˈlɪpɪd/nounCommon term

In biology, lipid means: A fatty or oily organic molecule that does not dissolve in water, such as a fat, oil, phospholipid or steroid. Lipids store energy and form cell membranes.

In Turkish: lipit, lipid, yağ

How it is used

A broad term in biochemistry; fat is only one kind of lipid. Phospholipids form the cell membrane, triglycerides store energy, and cholesterol and steroid hormones are lipids too. Lipids are described as hydrophobic (water-fearing).

Example sentences

  1. Seeds such as sunflower store most of their energy as lipids.

  2. The emulsion test uses ethanol to detect lipids in food.

Common collocations

  • lipid bilayer
  • lipid metabolism
  • membrane lipids
  • lipid droplet
  • carbohydrateAn organic molecule made of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen, such as a sugar, starch or cellulose. Carbohydrates store energy and build structures like plant cell walls.
  • proteinA large molecule made of one or more chains of amino acids folded into a specific shape. Proteins build cell structures, speed up reactions and carry signals.
  • cell membraneThe thin, flexible layer that surrounds every cell and controls what enters and leaves it. It is built mainly from a double layer of phospholipids with proteins set into it.
  • hormoneA chemical messenger made in one part of an organism and carried, often in the blood, to target cells elsewhere, where it changes their activity.

More terms: Molecules of Life and Metabolism

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