Sphingolipids

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
  • Role:
    • Structural component in cell membrane
  • Amphipathic