What increases membrane fluidity?
Shorter lipids, more unsaturated fatty acids
What are the main phosphoglycerides?
Phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylserine, phosphatidylinositol
Where is phosphorylated phosphotidylinositol found?
The cytosolic face of the membrane
What is cardiolipin?
Also called diphosphatidylglycerol. Unique phospholipid mainly located on inner membrane of bacteria and mitochondria. Interacts with oxidative phosphorylation proteins.
What are sphingolipids?
Membrane lipids with ceramide in place of glycerol. They have one fatty acid chain and one common monounsaturated hydrocarbon chain.
Where are glycolipids found
The outer face of the plasma membrane
What is the simplest glycosphingolipid?
Glucosylceramide
How are more complex glycosphingolipids made?
Additional sugars added to glucose residue, GM2 gamglioside is a very common human glycolipid
What is galactosylceramide?
The principal glycosphingolipid in brain tissue and nervous tissue aka cerebroside
What is the main sphingolipid in plants?
Glucosylceramide
What is the role of glucosylceramide?
Biosynthetic precursor to lactosylceramide and then oligoglycolipids and gangliosides
What are waxes?
Esters of long chain alcohols with long chain fatty acids
What are steroids derived from?
Terpenes repeating isoprene units
What is the effect of cholesterol in the plasma membrane?
Immobilises fatty acid tails, decreases permeability to small water soluble molecules, prevents crystallisation
How are curved membranes formed?
PC on outer leaflet, PE on inner leaflet
What % of the plasma membrane is cholesterol?
20-30%
What % of the inner mitochondrial membrane is protein?
76%
