studying lipid metabolism with my favorite disney buddies ✌️

how I turn up

Too many things to do with too little time. I need some motivation.

mornings aren’t pretty but yummy snacks makes them more bearable 🐻

Lipids: The Bads And The Goods!

This cutaway computer artwork shows the structure of a Lipoprotein particle. Lipoproteins are the major carriers of cholesterol in the blood and are mainly composed of lipids. The complex structure includes carrier proteins (green slime-like) known as apo-B proteins, which assist transport in the blood. The outer coat consists of phospholipids (stalked spheres) and free cholesterol molecules. Within the core, cholesterol molecules (yellow) are bound into long esters by fatty acid chains.

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The five major groups of lipoproteins are, in order of molecular size (largest to smallest) chylomicrons, very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL), intermediate-density lipoprotein (IDL), LDL, and high-density lipoprotein (HDL). Although the nickname is simplistic and thus quite misleading, LDL particles are often called “bad cholesterol” because they can transport their content of many fat molecules into artery walls, attract macrophages and thus lead to atherosclerosis. In contrast, HDL particles are frequently referred to as “good cholesterol” or healthy cholesterol, because they can remove fat molecules from macrophages in the walls of arteries.

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Image above ©Springer Medizin / Science Source