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phospholipids

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phospholipids

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Also known as phospholipid

thumb|Phospholipid arrangement in cell membranes. thumb|Phosphatidylcholine is the major component of [[lecithin. It is also a source for choline in the synthesis of acetylcholine in cholinergic neurons.]]

AI overview

Phospholipids are fatty molecules with a phosphate group attached that form the basic structural layer of cell membranes, arranged so their water-loving heads face outward and their water-repelling tails face inward. One important type called phosphatidylcholine makes up most of lecithin and helps produce acetylcholine, a chemical messenger in the brain and nervous system.

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Commons category
Phospholipids
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Article

18 sections
Contents
  • Phospholipids in biological membranes
  • Arrangement
  • Dynamics
  • Main phospholipids
  • Diacylglyceride structures
  • Phosphosphingolipids
  • Applications
  • Simulations
  • Characterization
  • Analysis
  • Phospholipid synthesis
  • Sources
  • In signal transduction
  • Food technology
  • Phospholipid derivatives
  • Abbreviations used and chemical information of glycerophospholipids
  • See also
  • References

thumb|Phospholipid arrangement in cell membranes. thumb|Phosphatidylcholine is the major component of [[lecithin. It is also a source for choline in the synthesis of acetylcholine in cholinergic neurons.]]

Phospholipids 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. The phosphate group can be modified with simple organic molecules such as choline, ethanolamine or serine.

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