How to LDL and HDL differ structurally and functionally?
Both transport cholesterol in the blood, but the main functional difference between the two is they deliver cholesterol to different parts of your body.
Low-density lipoproteins bring cholesterol to cells throughout your body and can cause cholesterol to buildup within your arteries. This buildup can eventually lead to arterial blockage and an increased risk for heart disease and stroke.
High-density lipoproteins, on the other hand, can benefit your health because these particles carry cholesterol away from your heart and organs and deliver it back to your liver, where it is passed from your body. (Healthy Eating, n.d.)
"Approximately 50 percent of the weight of an LDL particle is cholesterol and only 25 percent is protein. High-density lipoprotein particles, on the other hand, consist of 20 percent cholesterol by weight and 50 percent protein. Since protein is more dense than fat, HDL particles are more dense than LDL particles, hence the names "high-density" and "low-density" lipoproteins" (Healthy Eating, n.d.).
"Approximately 50 percent of the weight of an LDL particle is cholesterol and only 25 percent is protein. High-density lipoprotein particles, on the other hand, consist of 20 percent cholesterol by weight and 50 percent protein. Since protein is more dense than fat, HDL particles are more dense than LDL particles, hence the names "high-density" and "low-density" lipoproteins" (Healthy Eating, n.d.).
Another structural difference between LDL and HDL are their proteins. LDL carries B-100 proteins whereas HDL carries A-I and A-II proteins (Kamps, n.d.).
Keep Reading -> Why should doctors monitor the concentration of LDL and HDL?
Keep Reading -> Why should doctors monitor the concentration of LDL and HDL?