A clear example of this importance is the elevated fatty acid concentration present in nerve tissue, especially very long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids. Lipids have been instrumental in the evolution of species, having important role in the growth, development and maintenance of tissues. The structural, metabolic and nutritional importance of lipids in the body is supported by numerous investigations in different biological models (cellular, animals and humans).

In this context, fats and oils are the main exponents of lipids present in foods and in nutritional processes, being diverse fatty acids and cholesterol the most representative molecules due their important metabolic and nutritional functions. Lipids are composed of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen atoms, and in some cases contain phosphorus, nitrogen, sulfur and other elements. The term lipid is used to classify a large number of substances having very different physical - chemical characteristics, being its solubility in organic non-polar solvents the common property for their classification.

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