Question

Describe detail function of sphingolipid ?

Answer 1

Answer: Sphingolipids is called as membrane lipid which comparises about 10% part of total membrane lipid.The sphingolipid consist of polar head region as well as non polar tail region. Sphingolipid is basically divided in two groups as : 1. Sphingomyeline, 2. Cerebrosides

1. Sphingomyeline --- In this instead of having the glycerol backbone it consist of four carbon backbone instead of three carbon backbone so it is not a glycerol based lipid but it is a different type of lipid called as sphingoserine which contan an amino alcolol. This sphingomyelin is important because all of our nerves have the coating of this sphingomyelin around them which is basically a sphingolipid. Because of this coating the nerves talk to eachother. Typically we call the sheath as myelin sheath which basically ac as electrical discharger so that the nerve cells can talk to eachother. If this sheath of sphingolipid is degraded so then our nerve cell stop talking to eachother so we call it as slow form of paralysis.

2. Cerebrosides---- It increases the velocity of signals and if they begain to degrade so we call this as Multiple Sclerosis(MS). MS diagnosis is due to the fact that the lipid bilayer or lipid or their sheath are basically getting destroyed over a course of time.