Phospholipids in Biology and Medicine

Phospholipids and Plasma Lipoproteins All the major plasma lipids, the free fatty acids, phospholipids, cholesterol, cholesteryl esters and triglycerides, are transported in association with proteins. The free fatty acids are primarily bound to albumin whereas the other lipids are carried as part of macromolecular complexes known as the plasma lipoproteins. The protein and phospholipid constituents serve as “solubilizers” to maintain the neutral lipids in a soluble form as they circulate in the blood. The lipoproteins are required for the transport of fat from the gut and liver into the lymph and the blood. Complete absence of three of the four.