Home > Encyclopedia of Science > Lipids

• Waxes, fats, and oils
• Fats in animal bodies

The lipids are a class of biochemical compounds, many of which occur naturally in plants and animals. (Biochemical compounds are organic compounds that are intimately involved in living organisms.) Most organic compounds are classified into one of a few dozen families, based on their structural similarities. The lipids are an exception to that rule. The members of this family are classified together because they all have a single common physical property: they do not dissolve in water, but they do dissolve in organic solvents such as alcohols, ethers, benzene, chloroform, and carbon tetrachloride.

The lipids constitute a very large class of compounds, many of which play essential roles in organisms. Among the most important lipids are fats and oils, waxes, steroids, terpenes, fat-soluble vitamins,...