Membrane Fluidity
- Fluidity buffer: Maintains membrane fluidity in optimal range.
- Lubricative property of lipid â Maintain fluidity of membrane â Allows mobility.
Phospholipids
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¤ | Increased Fluidity | Decreased Fluidity |
Effect on health | Good | Bad |
Type of fatty acids | Unsaturated (Essential) | Saturated (Trans) |
Examples | ⢠Linoleic acid ⢠ι Linolenic acid ⢠Arachidonic acid ⢠Omega-3 fatty acids: Abundant in fish | ⢠Stearic acid ⢠Palmitic acid: (Abundant in junk food) |
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¤ | SFA | MUFA | PUFA | PUFA |
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¤ | ă
¤ | Omega -9 | Omega -3 | Omega -6 |
Example | ⢠Lauric acid ⢠Stearic acid ⢠Palmitic acid | Oleic acid | ι-linolenic acid Most essential fatty acid | Linoleic acid |
Richest sources | Animal sources One plant source: Coconut oil | ⢠Mustard oil ⢠Groundnut ⢠Olive ⢠Avocado | Flax seed oil One animal source: Fish | Safflowers |
Long/complex chain derivative & richest source | - | - | ⢠Eicosapentaenoic acid ⢠ι-linolenic acid ⢠Timnodonic acid ⢠Cervonic acid ⳠBreast milk ⳠFish ⳠAlgal oil | ⢠Linoleic acid ⢠γ-linolenic acid ⢠Arachidonic acid : ⳠMilk, egg Derivatives: ⳠEicosanoids (Prostaglandins, Leukotrienes, Thromboxane A2) |
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¤ | Saturated Laura (Lauric acid) stearingil (stearic acid) coconut (coconut oil) palmil (Palmitic oil) kond idich | MUFA â 9 () Ola (Oleic) ayi MUST () goto GOA () | 3 â F â Flax â Fish | 6 â FF â saFFlower |
- Lecithin-sphingomyelin (L/S) ratio:
- Determinant of fetal lung maturity.
- L/S ratio > 2 to 2.5 â Indicates mature fetal lungs.
- Deficiency in pre-term baby
- Hyaline Membrane Disease
- Very low compliance.
Glycerophospholipids
- Based on phosphatidic acid (PA) â Diacyl glycerol (DAG) + PO4
- Key examples:
- Surfactant Composition:
- Primarily lipid (90%) and protein (10%).
- Surfactant Production:
- Surfactant action
- Break force of attraction between water molecules lining alveoli
Lipid | Other names | Function |
M/c | DPPC ⢠Dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine / ⢠Dipalmitoyl lecithin | = surfactant form |
2nd m/c | PC ⢠Phosphatidylcholine / ⢠Lecithin | ⢠general membrane phospholipid ⢠â DAG + PO4 + choline ⢠Most abundant in cell membranes |
Surfactant Production | Weeks of Gestation |
Begins | 20-24 weeks |
Appears in amniotic fluid | 28-30 weeks |
Maturation | 35-37 weeks |


- Cardiolipin
- (Diphosphatidyl glycerol)
- Heart: mitochondria
- Only antigenic PL
- Inner mitochondrial membrane
- Implicated in Barth, Syphilis, APLA
- Barth syndrome
- Cardiomegaly + myopathy
- Cardiolipin involved
- Mitochondrial disease
- Bar â Alcohol â Dont drive car (Cardiolipin)
- DCM â cardiomegaly
- get beaten â Myopathy
- In APLA
- Cross reacts with Treponema pallidum:
- false-positive VDRL/RPR test.
- d/t Serum anti-CL antibody
- Lupus anticoagulant
- Anti-β2 Glycoprotein antibody
- In vivo Procoagulant
- Recurrent thrombosis
- Invitro anticoagulant,
- Prolonged PTT
- not corrected by the addition of normal platelet-free plasma
- Dilute Russell Viper Venom Time Test (DRVVT) derangement
- due to autoactivation.
- Other Major lipids
Types | Significance |
Sphingomyelin | ⢠Sphingophospholipids ⢠Myelin sheath, brain white matter, lung surfactant ⢠Lecithin: sphingomyelin ratio âł Marker for fetal lung maturity (â ratio = â maturity). |
Phosphatidylinositol (IP3) | ⢠PA + Inositol ⢠Endocrine cells Function ⢠2nd messenger in hormonal pathways (IP3 â DAG â Ca²âş) ⢠signal transduction. |
Phosphatidylserine (Ps) | ⢠PA + Serine ⢠Inner surface of cell membrane in all cells Function â˘Â Eat me Signal (Apoptosis) Stained by Annexin V: âł Binds & forms complex with Ps |
Carbohydrates
CLASSIFICATIONS
- Glycoprotein: Attached to proteins.
- Glycolipids: Attached to lipids.
SIGNIFICANCE
- Glycolipids on RBC membrane:
- Determine blood groups.
Blood Type | Red Blood Cell Antigens Displayed |
A | Displays A antigen |
B | Displays B antigen |
AB | Displays A and B antigens |
O | Lacks A and B antigens |
Note
- Membrane with highest protein:
- Inner mitochondrial membrane.
- In nerve cell membrane (myelin):
- Lipid (80%)
- Protein (20%)
- Repair of damaged cell membrane is by resealing of lipid bilayer.
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