Fatty Acids and Lipids

Abstract

The term lipids is used to describe a chemically heterogeneous group of organic compounds which have in common the general property that they are insoluble in water but are soluble in organic solvents such as hydrocarbons (e.g. hexane and toluene), chloroform and alcohols. In its widest sense the term encompasses natural products such as the fat-soluble vitamins, carotenoids, steroids, terpenes, bile salts, fatty acids and their ester and amine derivatives. Commonly it is used more narrowly to include only fatty acids and their derivatives, waxes, steroids and steroid esters.