Figure 2.

General structure of lipoproteins. Lipoproteins are particles composed of an inner core of nonpolar lipids (triacylglycerol and cholesteryl esters) surrounded by amphipathic lipids (phospholipids and cholesterol) and proteins, making the particle water miscible. This combination of hydrophilic and hydrophobic properties enables lipoproteins to associate with lipids and hydrophobic compounds in order to transport in the plasma. The particle size of lipoproteins ranges from 10 to 1200 nm, and the size of each type of lipoprotein is as follows: chylomicron, 75–1200 nm; VLDL, 30–80 nm; IDL, 25–35 nm; LDL, 18–25 nm; and HDL, 8–12 nm.