Knowra Glycolipid Glycolipid A glycolipid is a lipid covalently joined to one or more carbohydrate groups. In cell membranes, it is commonly concentrated in the outer leaflet, where its carbohydrate faces the extracellular space.
Lipid : A hydrophobic or amphipathic molecule that dissolves poorly in water and includes fats, sterols, and membrane components. Glycolipids belong to this broad family, combining a lipid region with carbohydrate.
Lipid bilayer : A double layer of amphipathic molecules whose hydrophobic regions face inward and polar regions face water. Glycolipids occupy one leaflet of this structure, with their sugars exposed at its surface.
ABO blood group system : A blood-group system determined by carbohydrate antigens on red blood cells and other cell surfaces. ABO antigens can be displayed on glycolipids as well as glycoproteins.
Glycoprotein : A protein with one or more covalently attached carbohydrate chains. Like glycolipids, glycoproteins display sugars at cell surfaces, but their underlying scaffold is protein.
Carbohydrate : A sugar or sugar-derived molecule, including monosaccharides, oligosaccharides, and polysaccharides. Its covalently attached sugar chain forms the water-facing part of many glycolipids.
Membrane asymmetry : The unequal distribution of lipids and proteins between the two leaflets of a biological membrane. Glycolipids are usually enriched in the outward-facing leaflet rather than distributed evenly.
Ganglioside : A glycosphingolipid containing one or more sialic acid residues. Gangliosides are especially abundant in nervous tissue and participate in cell-surface interactions.
Proteoglycan : A protein bearing one or more long glycosaminoglycan chains, commonly found in extracellular matrices. Its sugar chains are much longer and attached to a protein core, unlike a glycolipid’s lipid anchor.
Glycosidic bond : A covalent bond that links a sugar’s anomeric carbon to another group or sugar. This bond connects the carbohydrate portion to a lipid or to another sugar.
Glycocalyx : A carbohydrate-rich layer on the exterior of cells, formed by sugars attached to lipids and proteins. Glycolipid sugar chains contribute directly to this cell-surface coat.
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