Sphingolipids
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Lipids
Summary
Sphingolipids are a type of lipid that are made up of a sphingosine backbone attached to one fatty acid tail through an amide linkage. Additionally, sphingolipids contain a variable polar head group. Sphingolipids are amphipathic molecules, and function to maintain structural integrity of our cell membranes.
Key Points
- Sphingolipids
- Structure:
- Backbone: Sphingosine
- Attachments:
- 1 Fatty Acid Tail
- Connected to amino group of sphingosine via amide linkage
- 1 Variable Polar Head Group
- 1 Fatty Acid Tail
- Role:
- Structural component in cell membrane
- Amphipathic
- Structure: