cataliesw
Primus registratum
Lipoproteins are a set of natural nanoparticles responsible for the transport of cholesterol and other lipids in the blood circulation. They are complex particles and each has a central hydrophobic core of non-polar lipids, primarily cholesterol esters and triglycerides. This hydrophobic core is surrounded by a hydrophilic membrane consisting of phospholipids, free cholesterol, and apolipoproteins, which facilitates lipoprotein formation and function. Since lipids are insoluble in water, these lipids must be transported in association with proteins in the circulation. Large quantities of fatty acids from meals must be transported as triglycerides to avoid toxicity. Lipoproteins play a key role in the absorption and transport of dietary lipids by the small intestine, the transport of lipids from the liver to peripheral tissues, and the transport of lipids from peripheral tissues to the liver and the intestine. A secondary function is to transport toxic foreign hydrophobic and amphipathic compounds, such as bacterial endotoxin, from areas of invasion and infection.