Glycolipids are carbohydrate-attached lipids. Their role is to provide energy and also serve as markers for cellular recognition.
glycolipids
[Gk. glykys, sweet + lipos, fat]
Organic molecules similar in structure to fats, but in which a short carbohydrate chain rather than a fatty acid is attached to the third carbon of the glycerol molecule; as a result, ...
glycolipids Polysaccharides formed of sugars linked to lipids, a part of the cell membrane. PICTURE ...
Glycolipids Sugar-containing lipids that are derived from sphingosine; the sugar moiety is attached at the alcohol on sphingosine.
glycolipid - membrane lipid molecule with a short carbohydrate chain attached to a hydrophobic tail.
glycolysis - the degradation of carbohydrates in a sequence of enzymatically catalyzed
steps.
Phospholipids and glycolipids are important structural components of cell membranes. Phospholipids are modified so that a phosphate group (PO4-) replaces one of the three fatty acids normally found on a lipid.
The fatty chains in phospholipids and glycolipids usually contain an even number of carbon atoms, typically between 14 and 24. The 16- and 18-carbon fatty acids are the most common.
The protein is then called a glycoprotein and the lipid is called a glycolipid. They are signals, sort of like "zip codes." They are recognition sites for molecules (hormones), foreign organisms (bacteria, viruses) and other cells.
These glycolipids and glycoproteins often function as cell identification markers, allowing cells to identify other cells.
proteins (lipoproteins) and
polysaccharides (glycolipids).
Most of this page will describe how protein antigens are presented to the immune system.
The presentation of lipid and polysaccharide antigens will be mentioned at the end. [Link] ...
Carbohydrates covalently linked to proteins (glycoproteins) or lipids (glycolipids) are also a part of cell membranes, and function as adhesion and address loci for cells.
antigen A foreign (nonself) substance (such as a protein, nucleoprotein, polysaccharide, and some glycolipids) to which lymphocytes respond; also known as an immunogen because it induces the immune response.
Toothpick fragments represent carbohydrates, glycoproteins, and glycolipids.
The living ingredient of the cell is the cytoplasm.
fluidity of their plasma membranes to meet their particular needs by synthesizing more of certain types of molecules, such as those with specific kinds of bonds that keep them fluid at lower temperatures. The presence of cholesterol and glycolipids, ...
 See also: Cells, Membrane, Cell, Protein, Trans
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