COMPLEX LIPIDS
These important lipids are
widely distributed in plants, bacteria and animals. They are the major constituents of
cell membranes but are found also in circulating fluids.
They can be classified into three main groups:
1 - Lipids with a phosphate residue, one glycerol, or an aminoalcohol
or a fatty alcohol, without or with one or two
fatty chains (exceptionally one inositol group, two phosphates or four fatty chains):
2 - Lipids containing a glycosidic moiety
with a glycerol or an aminoalcohol and with fatty chain(s) (sometimes with one or more phosphate
groups):
3 - Lipids without phosphate group and containing one amino acid linked to a long-chain alcohol, an acid or a glyceride: