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Phospholipids [1] are a class of lipids whose molecule has a hydrophilic "head" containing a phosphate group and two hydrophobic "tails" derived from fatty acids, joined by an alcohol residue (usually a glycerol molecule). Marine phospholipids typically have omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA integrated as part of the phospholipid molecule. [2]
Phospholipids with certain head groups can alter the surface chemistry of a bilayer and can, for example, serve as signals as well as "anchors" for other molecules in the membranes of cells. [3] Just like the heads, the tails of lipids can also affect membrane properties, for instance by determining the phase of the bilayer.
Cationic liposomes can vary in size between 40 nm and 500 nm, and they can either have one lipid bilayer (monolamellar) or multiple lipid bilayers (multilamellar). [1] The positive charge of the phospholipids allows cationic liposomes to form complexes with negatively charged nucleic acids (DNA, mRNA, and siRNA) through ionic interactions
Phospholipids and glycolipids consist of two long, nonpolar (hydrophobic) hydrocarbon chains linked to a hydrophilic head group. The heads of phospholipids are phosphorylated and they consist of either: Glycerol (and hence the name phosphoglycerides given to this group of lipids), or; Sphingosine (e.g. sphingomyelin and ceramide).
Each glycerophospholipid molecule consists of a small polar head group and two long hydrophobic chains. In the cell membrane, the two layers of phospholipids are arranged as follows: the hydrophobic tails point to each other and form a fatty, hydrophobic center; the ionic head groups are placed at the inner and outer surfaces of the cell membrane
Phospholipids are the primary lipids composing cellular membranes. Phospholipids can be saponified , which releases the fatty acids contained in their diglyceride tail. Once the phospholipids of an unknown sample are saponified, the composition of the resulting PLFA can be compared to the PLFA of known organisms to determine the identity of the ...
Cell membranes are bilayer structures principally formed from phospholipids, molecules which have a highly water interactive, ionic phosphate head groups attached to two long alkyl tails. [citation needed] By contrast, fluorosurfactants are not amphiphilic or detergents because fluorocarbons are not lipophilic. [citation needed]
DPPC is a variant of phosphatidylcholine. Its structure includes both a hydrophilic "head" and hydrophobic "tails", and it is this arrangement that makes it able to reduce the surface tension of the water layer. The choline radical constitutes the polar hydrophilic head; it is oriented towards and extends into the alveolar liquid.
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