What are the three main functions of

lipids?

Energy storage

Heat insulation

Buoyancy

The 3 main functions of lipids are:

We refer to triglyceride lipids in solid form as fats.

In liquid form, triglycerides are called oils. Everyone is aware of the role fat plays in

energy storage. If you eat more food than you burn, your body

will store much of the excess as fat in adipose cells.

People either gain or lose weight depending on how much lipid is being stored at any given time in a fairly fixed number of adipose cells.  

3.2.6 Functions of Lipids

Lipids are very efficient molecules for storing energy.

As seen earlier, carbohydrates are also used for storing energy in living organisms.

Glycogen is a carbohydrate used by animals to store energy and starch is used by plants.

Energy storage

Lipids are important for thermal insulation.

A good reminder of this is to study the amount of blubber (fat) that cold-climate animals form in order to stay warm; 30% or more of the body mass of some seals may be due to the blubber layer beneath their skin.

Insulation

As you know a special category of lipid called phospholipid makes up the bilayer of all cell membranes.

These phospholipid molecules have a polar head turned towards water and a non-polar tail which turns away from water.

Membranes

Complete notes on 3.2.6 and 3.2.7.