Lipids and Lipoproteins

PART 1

Why Fats and Lipids Need Lipoproteins

Most people know HDL and LDL as different types of cholesterol—but strictly speaking, they’re actually types of lipoprotein. Lipoproteins are protein spheres that contain cholesterol, triglycerides, and other lipids in varying proportions and carry them through your bloodstream. Lipoproteins consist of a core of triglycerides and cholesterol esters, surrounded by a shell made up of water-soluble phospholipids with embedded proteins and cholesterol. The lipid-laden core of the lipoprotein is insoluble in aqueous (water-based) blood, so the phospholipid-protein shell is necessary to allow the lipoprotein to float freely in the bloodstream.