Lipid metabolism is the complex biochemical process encompassing the synthesis, breakdown, and transport of lipids, including fatty acids, triglycerides, and cholesterol, within the body. This essential metabolic function serves to store energy, provide structural components for cell membranes, and produce signaling molecules and steroid hormones. Dysregulation of this process is central to conditions like dyslipidemia, cardiovascular disease, and metabolic syndrome.
Origin
The term combines ‘lipid,’ from the Greek lipos (fat), and ‘metabolism,’ from the Greek metabolē (change), referring to the entire set of chemical transformations that occur within living organisms. The intricate pathways of lipid metabolism were largely elucidated through biochemical research throughout the 20th century, revealing the critical roles of lipoproteins and hormonal regulation.
Mechanism
Lipids are primarily synthesized in the liver and adipose tissue and transported throughout the body via lipoproteins like VLDL, LDL, and HDL. Key enzymes, such as lipoprotein lipase and hormone-sensitive lipase, control the release and uptake of fatty acids from storage. Hormones, notably insulin, thyroid hormone, and sex steroids, exert significant control over the rate of synthesis and breakdown, ensuring that energy demands and structural needs are precisely met.
Oral hormone administration subjects the liver to a concentrated first pass, altering protein synthesis and metabolic functions in ways other routes avoid.
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