sphingolipid /sphin·go·lip·id/ (sfing″go-lip´id) a lipid in which the backbone is sphingosine or a related base, the basic unit being a ceramide attached to a polar head group; it includes sphingomyelins, cerebrosides, and gangliosides.
sphingolipid
sphin·go·lip·id (sf ng g -lp d, -l pd)n. Any of a group of lipids, such as sphingomyelins or cerebrosides, that yield sphingosine or its derivatives upon hydrolysis. |
sphingolipid
[sfing′gōlip′id]
Etymology: Gk, sphingein, to bind, lipos, fat
a compound that consists of a lipid and a sphingosine. It is found in high concentrations in the brain and other tissues of the nervous system, especially membranes.
sphingolipid
one of the two dominant 'families' of lipids; a range of phospholipids containing sphingosine (e.g. ceramides, sphingomyelins, gangliosides and cerebrosides), occurring in high concentrations in the brain and other nerve tissue.
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