Membrane Lipids

Biochemistry
Membrane Lipids
3 Common Types:
• Phospholipids
• Sphingoglycolipids
• Cholesterol

Biochemistry
Membrane Lipids: Phospholipid
• has one or more fatty acids
• has phosphate group
• Has alcohol attached to the
phosphate group
• platform molecule
-Glycerol
-Sphingosine

Biochemistry
Membrane Lipids: Phospholipid
Glycerophospholipid Sphingophospholipid

Biochemistry
Membrane Lipids: Phospholipid
Glycerophospholipid

-a lipid that contains 2 fatty

acids, and a phosphate group
esterified to a glycerol
molecule, and an alcohol
esterified to a phosphate group.

Biochemistry
Membrane Lipids: Phospholipid
Structural formulas of the components of Phospholipids

Phosphoric acid
Glycerol

Fatty acids

Biochemistry
Membrane Lipids: Phospholipid
Structural formulas of the components of Phospholipids

Amino Acids

Biochemistry
Membrane Lipids: Phospholipid
Structural formulas of the components of Phospholipids

Biochemistry
Membrane Lipids: Phospholipid
Drawing the Structural Formula for a Glycerophospholipid

Draw the structural formula for the

glycerophospholipid that produces, upon
hydrolysis, equimolar amounts of glycerol,
phosphoric acid, and ethanolamine, and twice
that molar amount of stearic acid.

Biochemistry
Membrane Lipids: Phospholipid
Drawing the Structural Formula for a Glycerophospholipid

Draw the structural formula for the

glycerophospholipid that produces, upon
hydrolysis, equimolar amounts of glycerol,
phosphoric acid, and choline, and twice that
molar amount of lauric acid.

Biochemistry
Membrane Lipids: Phospholipid
Glycerophospholipid containing these three
amino alcohols are respectively known as
phosphatidylcholine (lecithins),
phosphatidylethanolamine, and
phosphatidylserine (cephalins).

“Phosphatidyl + amino acid”

Biochemistry
Membrane Lipids: Phospholipid

Biochemistry
Membrane Lipids: Phospholipid
Sphingophospholipid

-a lipid that contains 1 fatty

acid, and a phosphate group
attached to a sphingosine
molecule, and an alcohol
attached to a phosphate group.

Biochemistry
Membrane Lipids: Phospholipid
Sphingophospholipid

Biochemistry
Membrane Lipids: Phospholipid
Sphingophospholipid in which the alcohol esterified to the phosphate
group is choline is called sphingomyelins.

Biochemistry
Membrane Lipids
3 Common Types:
• Phospholipids
• Sphingoglycolipids
• Cholesterol

Biochemistry
Membrane Lipids: Sphingoglycolipid

Sphingoglycolipid
-fatty acid
-sphingosine
-carbohydrates attached to
sphingosine

Biochemistry
Membrane Lipids: Sphingoglycolipid
Example:

Cerebrosides

Biochemistry
Membrane Lipids: Sphingoglycolipid
Cerebrosides

-simplest sphingoglycolipids
-has one sugar unit
(galactose/glucose)

Biochemistry
Membrane Lipids: Sphingoglycolipid
Example:

Gangliosides

Biochemistry
Membrane Lipids
3 Common Types:
• Phospholipids
• Sphingoglycolipids
• Cholesterol

Biochemistry
Membrane Lipids: Cholesterol
Cholesterol
-no fatty acid residues
-no platform molecule
-a steroid: a structure based on a
fused ring system that involves
three 6-membered ring and one
5-membered ring.
Steroid nucleus
Biochemistry
Membrane Lipids: Cholesterol
Cholesterol
-a C₂₇ steroid molecule that is a
component of cell membranes
and a precursor for other steroid-
based lipids.

Biochemistry
Membrane Lipids: Cholesterol
Cholesterol
-has alcohol functional group
-has methyl group at C₁₀ and C₁₃
-has C=C between C₅ and C₆
-has 8-Carbon branched side at C₁₇

Biochemistry
Membrane Lipids: Cholesterol
Cholesterol
-sparingly soluble in water
-combine with proteins for
distribution: lipoproteins

Biochemistry
Membrane Lipids: Cholesterol
Types of Cholesterol

Biochemistry