Perhaps youre the type of health nut who takes four or five different vitamin concoctions each morning to support weight loss, anti-aging, good digestion, clear skin and high energy. Or maybe youre just curious about the medicinal effects of black tea, cranberry juice and licorice. Well, youre in for a treat.

We know lipids as the molecules in cholesterol, fats, oils, and waxes (different from fatty acids, like the unhealthy transfats New York City recently banned). We're maybe less familiar with them as a key structural component of cell membranes. They are not only part of the mix that makes up the semipermeable membrane between the cell wall and the guts of a cell, they're also responsible for shielding a cell's organelles, enclosing each in a protective membrane.

Lipids also make up the protective outer layer on viruses (called an envelope). Read Full Story ]