i. Define lipids. ii. What happens to fats that are eaten in excess?

Question

Read the paragraph and answer the questions given below:

2. The substances formed by specific chemical bond between fatty acids and alcohol are called lipids. Digestion of lipids consumed by us is nothing but their conversion into fatty acids and alcohol. Fatty acids are absorbed and distributed everywhere within the body. From those fatty acids, different cells produce various substances necessary to themselves. Ex. the molecules called phospholipids which are essential for producing plasma membrane are formed from fatty acids. Besides, fatty acids are used for producing hormones like progesterone, estrogen, testosterone, aldosterone, etc. and the covering around the axons of nerve cells. We get 9 Kcal of energy per gram of lipids. Excess of lipids are stored in adipose connective tissue in the body.

i. Define lipids.

ii. What happens to fats that are eaten in excess?

iii. Which hormones regulating reproductive functions are produced from fatty acids?

iv. How is plasma membrane of the cells formed?

v. What happens to lipids when their digestion is completed? How much energy do they provide?

Answer 1

i. Lipids are molecules formed of fatty acids and glycerol (alcohol) which have specific bonds between them.

ii. When excess of fats are eaten, they are stored in adipose connective tissue.

iii. Progesterone, estrogen and testosterone are the reproductive hormones produced from fatty acids.

iv. The digested fats are absorbed in the form of fatty acids. These are converted back to phospholipids from which plasma membrane of cells is formed.

v. After complete digestion of lipids they are converted to fatty acids and glycerol. 1 gm of lipid provides 9 kcal of energy.