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Comprehensive Final Lipid Map definitions

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  • Fatty Acid
    Long hydrocarbon chain with a carboxylic acid group; can be saturated, unsaturated, or omega, and forms the basis of many lipid classes.
  • Glycerolipid
    Lipid class with a glycerol backbone; includes triacylglycerols for energy storage and glycerophospholipids for membrane structure.
  • Triacylglycerol
    Molecule with three fatty acids ester-linked to glycerol; serves as a long-term energy storage similar to a battery.
  • Glycerophospholipid
    Phospholipid with a glycerol backbone and variable head groups; major component of biological membranes.
  • Phosphatidate
    Simplest glycerophospholipid lacking a variable head group; forms the core structure for other glycerophospholipids.
  • Sphingolipid
    Lipid class with a sphingosine backbone; fatty acids are attached via amide linkages, not ester linkages.
  • Sphingomyelin
    Sphingophospholipid found in the myelin sheath of nerve cell axons; key for nerve membrane insulation.
  • Ganglioside
    Complex sphingoglycolipid with multiple sugars and a sialic acid residue; associated with Tay Sachs disease.
  • Wax
    Compound formed by ester linkage between a fatty acid and a long-chain alcohol; beeswax is a common example.
  • Eicosanoid
    Signaling molecule derived from 20-carbon polyunsaturated fatty acids; includes prostaglandins, thromboxanes, and leukotrienes.
  • Prostaglandin
    Eicosanoid with a cyclopentane ring; regulates pain, inflammation, and fever in the body.
  • Thromboxane
    Eicosanoid with a six-membered ring and ether group; found in platelets and involved in blood clotting.
  • Leukotriene
    Eicosanoid produced by leukocytes; contains three conjugated double bonds and triggers smooth muscle contraction, linked to asthma.
  • Isoprene
    Five-carbon unit forming the basis of terpenes, steroids, and lipid vitamins; key building block for isoprenoid lipids.
  • Steroid
    Isoprene-based lipid with a characteristic ring structure; includes cholesterol and serves as precursor for steroid hormones.