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Related Concept Videos

Membrane Lipids01:32

Membrane Lipids

34.6K
Lipids are an essential component of all biological membranes. The average lipid content in mammalian membranes is 50%, though it can be as low as 20% in the inner mitochondrial membrane or as high as 80% in the myelin sheath present around the nerve cells.
Phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylserine, and sphingomyelin are the most common phospholipids present in mammalian membranes. At physiological pH, phosphatidylserine is negatively charged, while the other three...
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What are Lipids?01:38

What are Lipids?

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Overview
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What are Lipids?01:31

What are Lipids?

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Lipids function as structural components of cellular membranes, in addition to acting as energy reservoirs and signaling molecules. They are thus crucial to all living organisms.  The three biologically important classes of lipids are triglycerides, phospholipids, and steroids.
Non-Polar and Hydrophobic Characteristics of Lipids
Lipids are a structurally and functionally diverse group of hydrocarbons—compounds consisting of carbon and hydrogen atoms. The carbon-carbon and...
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Structure of Lipids03:38

Structure of Lipids

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Lipids include a diverse group of compounds that are largely nonpolar in nature. This is because they are hydrocarbons that include mostly nonpolar carbon-carbon or carbon-hydrogen bonds. Non-polar molecules are hydrophobic (“water fearing”), or insoluble in water. Lipids perform many different functions in a cell. Cells store energy for long-term use in the form of fats. Lipids also provide insulation from the environment for plants and animals. For example, they help keep aquatic...
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Lipid Digestion01:06

Lipid Digestion

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Lipids are large molecules that are generally not water-soluble. Since most of the digestive enzymes in the human body are water-based, there are specific steps the body must take to break down lipids and make them available for use.
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Introduction to Membrane Proteins01:16

Introduction to Membrane Proteins

81.7K
The cell membrane, or plasma membrane, is an ever-changing landscape. It is described as a fluid mosaic where various macromolecules are embedded in the phospholipid bilayer. Among the macromolecules are proteins. The protein content varies across cell types. For example, mitochondrial inner membranes contain ~76% protein content, while myelin contains ~18% protein content. Individual cells contain many types of membrane proteins—red blood cells contain over 50—and different cell...
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Updated: Feb 16, 2026

Measuring Membrane Lipid Turnover with the pH-sensitive Fluorescent Lipid Analog ND6
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Measuring Membrane Lipid Turnover with the pH-sensitive Fluorescent Lipid Analog ND6

Published on: July 29, 2021

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Ethanol and membrane lipids.

G Y Sun, A Y Sun

    Alcoholism, Clinical and Experimental Research
    |March 1, 1985
    PubMed
    Summary
    This summary is machine-generated.

    Chronic ethanol intake alters cellular membranes, not by changing bulk lipids, but by affecting specific lipid pools. These changes in active lipid pools are linked to enzyme systems crucial for membrane function and ethanol

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    Crystallizing Membrane Proteins for Structure Determination using Lipidic Mesophases
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    Area of Science:

    • Neuroscience
    • Biochemistry
    • Cell Biology

    Background:

    • Ethanol's central nervous system effects are well-known, but molecular mechanisms remain unclear.
    • Chronic ethanol exposure induces adaptive changes in organ functions and membrane properties.
    • In vitro studies show ethanol disrupts membrane structure, while chronic exposure leads to resistance.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To elucidate the molecular interactions underlying ethanol's effects on the central nervous system.
    • To investigate how chronic ethanol administration alters membrane lipid composition and function.
    • To identify specific lipid pools and enzyme systems involved in ethanol's action.

    Main Methods:

    • Biophysical and biochemical analyses of membrane lipids.
    • Measurement of cholesterol, fatty acid unsaturation, phospholipid distribution, and ganglioside profiles.
    • Investigation of changes in specific lipid pools, such as phosphatidylserine (PS) and phosphatidylinositol (PI)/phosphatidylcholine (PC) with 20:4 groups.

    Main Results:

    • Chronic ethanol exposure does not significantly alter bulk membrane lipid composition.
    • Specific, metabolically active lipid pools in subcellular fractions are affected by ethanol.
    • Increased phosphatidylserine in brain plasma membranes correlates with enhanced ion transport activity, e.g., (Na,K)-ATPase.
    • Alterations in the deacylation-reacylation pathway involving PI and PC with 20:4 groups were observed.

    Conclusions:

    • Ethanol's diverse actions are linked to changes in membrane-associated enzyme systems.
    • Adaptive responses to chronic ethanol involve alterations in specific lipid pools rather than bulk composition.
    • Further investigation into lipid-metabolizing enzymes is needed to fully understand ethanol's molecular mechanisms.