Packaging of fat: an evolving model of lipid droplet assembly and expansion

Dawn L Brasaemle1, Nathan E Wolins

  • 1Rutgers Center for Lipid Research and Department of Nutritional Sciences, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, New Jersey 08901, USA. brasaemle@aesop.rutgers.edu

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Structure of Lipids03:38

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Lipids include a diverse group of compounds that are largely nonpolar in nature. This is because they are hydrocarbons that include mostly nonpolar carbon-carbon or carbon-hydrogen bonds. Non-polar molecules are hydrophobic (“water fearing”), or insoluble in water. Lipids perform many different functions in a cell. Cells store energy for long-term use in the form of fats. Lipids also provide insulation from the environment for plants and animals. For example, they help keep aquatic birds and...
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