Lipid profiles of hydrothermal vent shrimps
In: Cahiers de Biologie Marine. Station Biologique de Roscoff: Paris. ISSN 0007-9723; e-ISSN 2262-3094, more
Also appears in:(1998). Proceedings of the First International Symposium on Deep-Sea Hydrothermal Vent Biology: Funchal, Madeira, Portugal 20-24 October 1997. Cahiers de Biologie Marine, 39(3-4). Station Biologique de Roscoff: Roscoff. 219-392 pp., more
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Authors | | Top |
- Allen Copley, C.E.
- Tyler, P.A., more
- Varney, M.S.
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Abstract |
Lipids are distinguished by their solubility in hydrocarbons and insolubility in water. They include a variety of compounds with diverse functions. Lipids can be classed according to their physical and structural properties. Polar lipids are soluble in polar organic solvents and include phospholipids and glycolipids. These constitute the bulk of membrane lipids in an organism. Triglycerides and wax esters are neutral lipids that are used for energy storage. Fatty acids are components of many types of lipid. Naturally occurring fatty acids vary in chain length and degree of unsaturation and certain fatty acids can only be produced by plants and some bacteria. As a result of this, fatty acids may be used as biomarkers of sources of organic carbon. The lipid profiling technique used here combines total lipid, lipid class and fatty acid composition of an organism to inform us about lipid function and sources of organic matter. The lipid profiles of the organisms studied are discussed in terms of their ecological significance to the life history strategy of hydrothermal vent shrimps. |
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