Which molecules are primarily transported by lipoproteins in the bloodstream?

Which molecules are primarily transported by lipoproteins in the bloodstream?

• A. Lipids
• B. Vitamins
• C. Minerals
• D. Oxygen

Answer: (A)

Lipoproteins exist to shuttle hydrophobic lipids through the aqueous environment of blood by forming soluble particles with a lipid-rich core and a surface of phospholipids and apolipoproteins. The primary cargo they carry is lipids—triglycerides and cholesterol esters—so they can be delivered to tissues or taken up by the liver. Oxygen is carried by hemoglobin in red blood cells, not by lipoproteins, and minerals have separate transport mechanisms and carriers. Some fat-soluble vitamins can travel with lipids, but the main function and most abundant cargo of lipoproteins are lipids.

Lipoproteins exist to shuttle hydrophobic lipids through the aqueous environment of blood by forming soluble particles with a lipid-rich core and a surface of phospholipids and apolipoproteins. The primary cargo they carry is lipids—triglycerides and cholesterol esters—so they can be delivered to tissues or taken up by the liver. Oxygen is carried by hemoglobin in red blood cells, not by lipoproteins, and minerals have separate transport mechanisms and carriers. Some fat-soluble vitamins can travel with lipids, but the main function and most abundant cargo of lipoproteins are lipids.