Explain why glycerophospholipids and sphingolipids are the predominant type of lipids in membranes.

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Expert Solution

glycerophospholipids, sphingolipids are major components of the eukaryotic plasma membrane. Mammalian sphingolipids include sphingomyelin and hundreds of glycosphingolipids, whereas in yeast such as S. cerevisiae only three sphingolipids exist, all containing myo -inositol. Ceramide, the backbone of sphingolipids, is composed of a long-chain base (LCB) and a fatty acid linked by an amide bond. In mammalian cells the major LCB is sphingosine. Again, sphingosine does not exist in S. cerevisiae ; instead, dihydrosphingosine (DHS) and phytosphingosine (PHS) serve as LCBs. In mammalian cells, sphingomyelin metabolites such as ceramide, sphingosine, and sphingosine 1-phosphate act as bioactive lipid molecules to regulate cell growth, differentiation, motility, and apoptosis .So due to enormous function these are important ones without these the cell cannot perform function so,these are predominant in the membranes of the cell.HOPE YOU UNDERSTAND

queen_honey_blossom answered 2 years ago

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