A report on Cholesterol and Lipid bilayer
A particularly important example in animal cells is cholesterol, which helps strengthen the bilayer and decrease its permeability.
- Lipid bilayerThe hydroxyl group of each cholesterol molecule interacts with water molecules surrounding the membrane, as do the polar heads of the membrane phospholipids and sphingolipids, while the bulky steroid and the hydrocarbon chain are embedded in the membrane, alongside the nonpolar fatty-acid chain of the other lipids.
- Cholesterol5 related topics with Alpha
Cell membrane
1 linksBiological membrane that separates the interior of all cells from the outside environment (the extracellular space) and protects the cell from its environment.
Biological membrane that separates the interior of all cells from the outside environment (the extracellular space) and protects the cell from its environment.
The cell membrane consists of a lipid bilayer, made up of two layers of phospholipids with cholesterols (a lipid component) interspersed between them, maintaining appropriate membrane fluidity at various temperatures.
Lipid
1 linksBiomolecule that is soluble in nonpolar solvents.
Biomolecule that is soluble in nonpolar solvents.
Lipids also encompass molecules such as fatty acids and their derivatives (including tri-, di-, monoglycerides, and phospholipids), as well as other sterol-containing metabolites such as cholesterol.
Glycerophospholipids, usually referred to as phospholipids (though sphingomyelins are also classified as phospholipids), are ubiquitous in nature and are key components of the lipid bilayer of cells, as well as being involved in metabolism and cell signaling.
Endoplasmic reticulum
1 linksThe endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is, in essence, the transportation system of the eukaryotic cell, and has many other important functions such as protein folding.
The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is, in essence, the transportation system of the eukaryotic cell, and has many other important functions such as protein folding.
The two types of ER share many of the same proteins and engage in certain common activities such as the synthesis of certain lipids and cholesterol.
The phospholipid membrane encloses the cisternal space (or lumen), which is continuous with the perinuclear space but separate from the cytosol.
Amphiphile
1 linksChemical compound possessing both hydrophilic (water-loving, polar) and lipophilic (fat-loving) properties.
Chemical compound possessing both hydrophilic (water-loving, polar) and lipophilic (fat-loving) properties.
They arrange themselves into lipid bilayers, by forming a sheet composed of two layers of lipids.
Although phospholipids are the principal constituents of biological membranes, there are other constituents, such as cholesterol and glycolipids, which are also included in these structures and give them different physical and biological properties.
Biosynthesis
0 linksMulti-step, enzyme-catalyzed process where substrates are converted into more complex products in living organisms.
Multi-step, enzyme-catalyzed process where substrates are converted into more complex products in living organisms.
Examples of these biosynthetic pathways include the production of lipid membrane components and nucleotides.
3) Simple compounds that join to create a macromolecule. For example, fatty acids join to form phospholipids. In turn, phospholipids and cholesterol interact noncovalently in order to form the lipid bilayer. This reaction may be depicted as follows: