One class of phospholipids, the phosphoglycerides,are composed by three parts that define this type of lipid:
- backbone of glycerol
- two long-chain fatty acids
-phosphoric acid
- and one organic group
Sphingolipids are similar in shape but they have a different component. Instead of having glycerol, which is the case for phosphoglycerides, they use sphingosine.
To form a Sphingolipid are necessary:
-sphingosine as the backbone
-phosphate
-an organic group
