Lipids of Taenia saginata were analyzed by means of thin layer chromatography and gas liquid chromatography. Total lipids comprised about 3.3% of the fresh weight and consisted mainly of triglycerides (65.62%), sterols (19.58%), phospholipids (10.16%). The fatty acids of the triglycerides were mainly unsaturated and differed from those of phospholipids. The parasite has practically no "de novo" fatty acid biosynthesis, although this cestode did synthetize complex lipids from single lipids provided by the diet.