The term lipid storage diseases are caused by what?

• A. Excessive dietary fat ingestion
• B. Excessive synthesis of chylomicrons
• C. A specific enzyme deficiency or nonfunctional enzyme form
• D. An inability of adipose tissue to store lipid materials

Answer: (C)

Lipid storage diseases arise when a lipid-degrading enzyme is missing or nonfunctional, so lipids cannot be broken down inside cells and instead accumulate, especially in lysosomes. This buildup disrupts cellular function and leads to organ pathology. It’s the enzyme defect that drives the problem, not dietary fat intake or problems with transporting or storing fats in adipose tissue. For example, Gaucher disease comes from deficient glucocerebrosidase, causing glucocerebroside to pile up in macrophages; Niemann-Pick disease results from sphingomyelinase deficiency, with sphingomyelin accumulation. Excessive dietary fat would alter blood lipid levels but wouldn’t create the intracellular storage issue characteristic of these diseases.