Sphingomyelin

Sphingomyelins, also called Sphingophospholipids belong to the group of phospholipids and sphingolipids and sit like this from a hydrophilic head and two hydrophobic hydrocarbon tails together, so they deserve an amphiphilic character.

The basic structure of sphingomyelins is the sphingosine. To the amino group, a C2 - fatty acid is linked via an amide linkage and the C1 hydroxy group, a phosphate group, a phosphoester. Analogously to the phosphoglycerides can be esterified with another alcohol these phosphate group. Prominent examples of these alcohols are ethanolamine and choline. Sphingolipids are components of plasma membranes, particularly high concentrations of sphingomyelin have plasma membranes of nerve cells (→ myelin sheath ).

Biological Function

The major lipids in eukaryotic cell membrane include glycerophospholipids, cholesterol and sphingolipids ( phospho- and glycosphingolipids ). The sphingolipids, whose main representative is the sphingomyelin, make it a percentage of 1-2%.