What is a lipoprotein?
Question:
What is a lipoprotein?
Lipids
Lipids are molecules of fats that generally consist of a hydrophobic group. One class of lipids, fatty acids, are used most prominently for energy in the cell or can be esterified in order to be used as cell membrane components in the form of phospholipids.
Answer and Explanation: 1
Lipoproteins are macromolecular complexes that contain both lipids and proteins. They primarily transfer lipids throughout the body. The most common kinds of lipoproteins contain certain proteins of the apolipoprotein family, and the type of apolipoprotein determines the structure of that lipoprotein and provides a signal for cells to recognize which kind of lipoprotein is present depending on the kind of apoprotein. Lipoproteins carry triglycerides and cholesterol in large proportions.
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Chapter 9 / Lesson 4Learn to define what lipoproteins are. Discover the lipoprotein structure and composition, and see the function of lipoprotein and how chylomicrons transport lipids.