Lipids are a class of hydrocarbon-containing organic compounds.
Lipids are categorized by the fact that they are soluble in nonpolar solvents (such as ether and chloroform) and are relatively insoluble in water.
Lipid molecules have these properties because they consist of mainly carbon.
Some lipids are used for energy storage, others serve as structural components of cell membranes, and some are important hormones.
Although the term lipid is often used as a synonym for fat, the latter is in fact a subgroup of lipids called triglycerides..
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