Two schematic representations of a phospholipid.

Phospholipids are formed from four components: fatty acids, a negatively charged phosphate group, an alcohol and a backbone. Phospholipids with a glycerol backbone are known as glycerophospholipids or phosphoglycerides. There is only one type of phospholipid with a sphingosine backbone; sphingomyelin. Phospholipids are a major component of all biological membranes, along with glycolipids and cholesterol. moving over from nupedia File links The following pages link to this file: Phospholipid Categories: GFDL images ... In chemistry, especially biochemistry, a fatty acid is a carboxylic acid (or organic acid), often with a long aliphatic tail (long chains), either saturated or unsaturated. ... In chemistry, a phosphate is a polyatomic ion or radical consisting of one phosphorus atom and four oxygen. ... In general usage, alcohol (from Arabic al-khwl الكحول, or al-ghawl الغول) refers almost always to ethanol, also known as grain alcohol, and often to any beverage that contains ethanol (see alcoholic beverage). ... ... Glycerophospholipids or phosphoglycerides are glycerol-based phospholipids. ... Sphingosine is a compound that forms a primary part of the sphingolipids, a class of cell membrane lipids which includes sphingomyelin, an important phospholipid. ... Sphingomyelin is a type of lipid involved in the nervous system of animals, used to increase the speed of transmission. ... Drawing of a cell membrane A component of every biological cell, the selectively permeable cell membrane (or plasma membrane or plasmalemma) is a thin and structured bilayer of phospholipid and protein molecules that envelopes the cell. ... Glycolipids are carbohydrate-attached lipids. ... Cholesterol is a steroid, a lipid, and an alcohol, found in the cell membranes of all body tissues, and transported in the blood plasma of all animals. ...

Phosphoglycerides

In phosphoglycerides, the carboxyl group of each fatty acid is esterified to the hydroxyl groups on carbon-1 and carbon-2. The phosphate group is attached to carbon-3 by an ester link. This molecule, known as a phosphatidate, is present in small quantities in membranes, but is also a precursor for the other phosphoglycerides. A carboxyl or carboxylic group is a functional group consisting of a carbon atom and an oxygen atom doubly bonded to each other. ... Hydroxide is a functional group consisting of oxygen and hydrogen: -O−H It has a charge of 1-. The term hydroxyl group is used when the functional group -OH is counted as a substituent of an organic compound. ... SHIT FUCK CUNT ...

Phosphatidyl choline

Phosphatidyl choline is the major component of lecithin. Image File history File links Structural formula of phosphatidyl choline (Blue/Green: Fatty acid, Black: Glycerol backbone, Red: phosphate, Purple: Choline) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Jump to: navigation, search Lecithin, also known as Phosphatidylcholine Lecithin is usually used as synonym for phosphatidylcholine, a phospholipid which is the major component of a phosphatide fraction which may be isolated from either egg yolk (in Greek lekithos - λεκιθος) or soy beans from which it is mechanically or chemically extracted...

Phosphatidyl ethanolamine

Phosphatidyl ethanolamine is the major component of cephalin. Image File history File links Structural formula of phosphatidyl ethanolamine (Blue/Green: Fatty acid, Black: Glycerol backbone, Red: phosphate, Purple: ethanolamine) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Cephalin is a phospholipid. ...

Phosphatidyl inositol

Image File history File links Structural formula of phosphatidyl inositol (Blue/Green: Fatty acid, Black: Glycerol backbone, Red: phosphate, Purple: inositol) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ...

Phosphatidyl serine

Image File history File links Structural formula of phosphatidyl serine (Blue/Green: Fatty acid, Black: Glycerol backbone, Red: phosphate, Purple: serine) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ...

Diphosphatidyl glycerol

Image File history File links Structural formula of Diphosphatidyl glycerol (Blue/Green: Fatty acid, Black: Glycerol backbone, Red: phosphate, Purple: Glycerol) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ...

Synthesis

In phosphoglyceride synthesis, phosphatidates must first be activated. Phospholipids can be formed from an activated diacylglycerol or an activated alcohol. Phosphatidyl serine and phosphatidyl inositol are formed from a phosphoester linkage between the hydroxyl of an alcohol (serine or inositol) and cytidine diphosphodiacylglycerol (CDP-diacylglycerol). SHIT FUCK CUNT ... Serine is one of the 20 natural amino acids. ... Inositol is a biological molecule that plays an important role as a second messenger in a cell, in the form of inositol phosphates. ...

In the synthesis of phospatidyl ethanolamine, the alcohol is first phosphorylated by ATP and subsequently reacts with cytidine diphosphate (CDP) to form the activated alcohol. The alcohol then reacts with a diacylglycerol to form the final product. Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) is the nucleotide known in biochemistry as the molecular currency of intracellular energy transfer; that is, ATP is able to store and transport chemical energy within cells. ...

In mammals, phosphatidyl choline can be synthesized via two separate pathways; a series of reactions similar to phosphatidyl ethanolamine synthesis, and the methylation of phosphatidyl ethanolamine, which is catalyzed by phosphatidyl ethanolamine methyltransferase, an enzyme found in the liver.

Sphingomyelin

Sphingomyelin (Red:Phosphatidyl choline, Blue:Acyl CoA)

The backbone of sphingomyelin is sphingosine, an amino alcohol formed from palmitate and serine. The amino terminal is acylated with a by a long-chain acyl CoA to yield ceramide. Subsequent substitution of the terminal hydroxyl group by phosphatidyl choline forms sphingomyelin. Image File history File links Structural formula of sphingomyelin (Red: Phosphatidyl choline, Blue: Acyl CoA, Black: Sphingosine backbone) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File links Structural formula of sphingomyelin (Red: Phosphatidyl choline, Blue: Acyl CoA, Black: Sphingosine backbone) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Sphingosine is a compound that forms a primary part of the sphingolipids, a class of cell membrane lipids which includes sphingomyelin, an important phospholipid. ... Definition: Compounds possessing both a hydroxyl (-OH) and an amino group (-NH2). ... Palmitate, also called n-hexadecanoate, is the dissociated and observed form of Palmitic Acid at physiological pH. Palmitate is a saturated 16 carbon fatty acid, and the first product of lipogenesis aka Fatty Acid Synthesis. ... Serine is one of the 20 natural amino acids. ... In chemistry, acylation is the process of adding an acyl group to a compound. ... Ceramide is a group of lipid-signaling molecules regulating the differentiation, proliferation, and death of cells. ...

Sphingomyelin is present in all eukaryotic cell membranes, but is mainly present in cells of the nervous system. Kingdoms Animalia - Animals Fungi Plantae - Plants Protista A eukaryote (also spelled eucaryote) is an organism with complex cells, in which the genetic material is organized into membrane-bound nuclei. ... Cells in culture, stained for keratin (red) and DNA (green) The cell is the structural and functional unit of all living organisms, sometimes called the building blocks of life. ... It has been suggested that Net flux be merged into this article or section. ...

Amphiphatic character

Due to its polar nature, the head of a phospholipid is attracted to water (it is hydrophilic). The nonpolar tails are not attracted to water and are said to be hydrophobic. When placed in water, phospholipids form a bilayer, where the hydrophobic tails line up against each other, and forms a membrane with hydrophilic heads on both sides extending out into the water. This allows it spontaneously to form liposomes, or small lipid vesicles, which can then be used to transport materials into living organisms and study diffusion rates into or out of a cell membrane. This membrane is partially permeable, very flexible, and has fluid properties, in which embedded proteins and phospholipid molecules are constantly moving laterally across the membrane because of the forces generated by their vibrations. Such movement can be described by the Fluid Mosaic Model, which basically describes the membrane as a "mosaic" of lipid molecules that act as a solvent for all the substances and proteins within it, so proteins and lipid molecules are basically free to diffuse laterally through the lipid matrix and migrate over the membrane. Water (from the Old English word wæter; c. ... The adjective hydrophilic describes something that likes water (from Greek hydros = water; philos = friend). ... In chemistry, hydrophobic or lipophilic species, or hydrophobes, tend to be electrically neutral and nonpolar, and thus prefer other neutral and nonpolar solvents or molecular environments. ... A bilayer is a closely packed double layer of atoms or molecules. ... A liposome is a spherical vesicle with a membrane composed of a phospholipid bilayer used to deliver drugs or genetic material into a cell. ... In cell biology, a vesicle is a relatively small and enclosed compartment, separated from the cytosol by at least one lipid bilayer. ... Any membrane media that allows passage of small particles, as well as liquids and gasses from one side of the membrane to the other, is called permeable. ... A subset of the phases of matter, fluids include liquids, gases, plasmas and, to some extent, plastic solids. ...

See also

• Antiphospholipid syndrome
• Biochemistry
• Lipid
• Lipid bilayer

Antiphospholipid syndrome (or antiphospholipid antibody syndrome) is a disorder of coagulation which causes thrombosis in both arteries and veins, as well as recurrent miscarriage. ... Biochemistry is the chemistry of life, a bridge between biology and chemistry that studies how complex chemical reactions give rise to life. ... Figure 1: Structure of a Lipid. ... A DPPC bilayer simulation Color scheme: PO4 = green, N(CH3)3 = violet, water = blue, terminal CH3 = yellow, O = red, glycol C = brown, chain C = grey In biology and chemistry, a lipid bilayer is a membrane or zone of a membrane composed of lipid molecules (usually phospholipids). ...

References

1. Berg, J.M., J.L. Tymoczko, and L. Stryer, Biochemistry. 5th ed. 2002, New York: W.H. Freeman. xxxviii, 974, [976] (various pagings)