出典:Wiktionary
sphingolipid (複数形 sphingolipids)
出典:Wikipedia
出典:『Wikipedia』 (2011/04/05 00:26 UTC 版)
Sphingolipids are a class of lipids derived from the aliphatic amino alcohol sphingosine. They were discovered in brain extracts in the 1870s and were named for the mythological Sphinx because of their enigmatic nature. These compounds play important roles in signal transmission and cell recognition. Sphingolipidoses, or disorders of sphingolipid metabolism, have particular impact on neural tissue. A sphingolipid with an R group consisting of a hydrogen atom only is a ceramide. Other common R groups include phosphocholine, yielding a sphingomyelin, and various sugar monomers or dimers, yielding cerebrosides and globosides, respectively. Cerebrosides and globosides are collectively known as glycosphingolipids.