Annual Review of Physical Chemistry · 1974 · 241 citations · 0 references
Natural SciencesBiochemistryChemistryLipid BiochemistryMembrane BiochemistryOrganic ChemistryLipid Bilayer StructureLipid BilayersLipid ChemistryLipid StructureMembrane Lipid CompositionMembrane Phase BehaviorHydrophobic InteractionsLipid Bilayer ArchitectureLipid Bilayer OrganizationLipid Headgroup ChemistryLipid MicrostructurePhase Behavior Of Lipid BilayersPhospholipid BilayersPolar Lipids
Lipids as a class encompass a large family of chemical compounds characterized by the presence in the same molecule of a hydrophilic and a hydrophobic part linked together by bonds sufficiently flexible to yield a rather independent behav ior. In the examples mentioned in this review the hydrophobic moiety is formed by one or two hydrocarbon chains of different length and degree of saturation; the hydrophilic groups are more heterogeneous. The following are examples: Soaps: [CH3-(CHz)n_z-Coo-]mxm+; where X is a m-valent cation. Phos pholipids of biological interest: Rl-CO-OCHz I Rz-CO-OCH 0 I I CHz-OPOX I 0-