Tag: food and it's constituents

Cerebroside is an important component of muscles and nerve cell membrane. It is also known as galactosylceramide. It is a class of glycolipids which consists of N -acyl sphingosine with glucose or galactose. Its deposition causes Gaucher disease. It is synthesized in endoplasmic reticulum and membranes of Golgi apparatus. It is degraded in the lysosomes. It is also known as galactolipid.

Most common lipids are triglycerides of glycerol and fatty acids. During digestion of lipids they are broken down into constituent fatty acids and glycerols by the action of lipase enzymes.

a) Palmitic acid is a saturated fatty acid. Its chemical formula is CH$ _3$(CH$ _2$)$ _{14}$COOH. Meat, cheese and diary products are the main source of the palmitic acid. It was first discovered in saponified palm oil. Excess carbohydrate in the body is converted into palmitic acid. 

The use of wax used to prepare candles has changed during the past few centuries. Nowadays, standard commercial candles are made from a combination of Paraffin wax and Stearic acid. A small amount of Bee wax may or may not be added in the making.

Suberin is a type of lipid found in the cell wall of plants especially cork cells. It is a mixture of fatty acid material along with glycerol and phellonic acid. It gives rigidity and strength to cell wall in addition to imparting impermeability to cork cells.  Waxes are esters of long chain fatty acids with cetyl or mericyl alcohol. They are found in leaf surfaces of plants, bees wax, wool fat of animal furs and ear wax.  Cutin is a complex lipid formed by polymerisation of  hydroxy fatty acids with or without esterification by alcohols other than glycerol. It is found in the epidermal cell walls of plants and also as a separate layer outer to epidermis. It prevents the water loss due to transpiration. 

The most widely available dietary source of omega-3 fats is oily fish, such as salmon, herring, mackerel, anchovies, menhaden, and sardines. All types of mackerel are higher-fat fish, rich in the healthful polyunsaturated fats known as long-chain omega-3s, which may help boost heart health. So, the correct answer is option A.

Lipids are storage compounds, triglycerides serve as reserve energy of the body. These are an important component of cell membranes structure in eukaryotic cells that helps in regulating membrane permeability. They serve as the source for fat-soluble vitamins like A, D, E, K. Example of lipids are fats, oils and steroids.