[09] Lipidomics Flashcards
What is Lipidomics?
A branch of metabolomics that studies the structure and function of lipids in a biological system.
What does lipidomics involve?
Identification and quantification of thousands of pathways and networks of lipid molecules using advanced technologies.
Initials: LC-MS
Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry
What is Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS)?
An analytical technique often used in lipidomics for separating, identifying and quantifying molecules in a mixture.
What are lipids?
Diverse group of organic compounds that are insoluble in water but soluble in organic solvents.
What are the key functions of lipids?
- Energy storage
- Cell membrane structure
- Signaling molecules
- Vitamins and hormones
What are the four main classes of lipids?
- Fatty acids
- Glycerolipids
- Sterol lipids
- Phospholipids
What are fatty acids?
Carboxylic acids with a long aliphatic chain, which is either saturated or unsaturated.
What are glycerolipids?
Lipids that contain a glycerol molecule bonded to fatty acids.
What are sterol lipids?
Lipids characterized by a rigid system of four fused hydrocarbon rings forming the skeleton of the molecule.
What are phospholipids?
Lipids that contain a phosphate group, often involved in forming cell membranes.
Initials: FA
Fatty acids
Initials: GL
Glycerolipids
Initials: SL
Sterol lipids
Initials: PL
Phospholipids
What is a lipidome?
The total lipid profile within a cell, tissue, organism, or ecosystem.
Why is lipidomics important in disease research?
Alterations in lipid metabolism have been linked to various diseases like cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, and cardiovascular diseases.
What is targeted lipidomics?
A lipidomics approach that focuses on a selected group of lipids or lipid classes for detailed study.
What is untargeted lipidomics?
A lipidomics approach that aims to profile as many lipids as possible without pre-selection.
How does lipidomics contribute to personalized medicine?
By helping to identify lipid biomarkers, it can aid in early diagnosis, prognosis, and response to treatment in various diseases.
What is the role of bioinformatics in lipidomics?
It aids in data processing, interpretation and visualization of complex lipidomics datasets.
