Glycosphingolipids

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Glycosphingoslipids

This is a class of complex lipids consisting of ceramide as the main component, but lacking in phosphorus and the nitrogenous base. There is however, a carbohydrate component which determines the nature of sphingolipids. The following categories have been recognized.

Cerebrosides These are neutral glycosphingolipids which occur in myelin sheath of nerves. The molecule consists of a molecule of sphingosine a fatty acid and a hexose, usually galactose or D-glucose, the former being predominant. The fatty acid moiety is a C24 acid which sometimes has a hydroxyl group in α position.

Gangliosides These are sphingolipids common in nerves and spleen. They are essentially ceramides bonded to one or more monosccharide units of galactose, one of which is either N- acetylglucosamine or N- acetylgalactosaminc. There may be other sugar derivatives that may be involved such as N-acetylneuraminic acid . The lipid contains at least one molecule of sialic acid in addition to other sugars . Several types of gangliosides occur in the brain tissue of humans.

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