Phospholipids

Phospholipids are a type of lipids that are a major component of cell membranes. They can form lipid bilayers for their amphiphilic characteristic. The structure of a phospholipid molecule typically consists of two hydrophobic fatty acid "tails" and a hydrophilic "head" consisting of a phosphate group. These two components are joined together by a glycerol molecule. The phosphate group can be modified with simple organic molecules such as choline. The first phospholipid discovered in 1847 as such in biological tissues was lecithin, or phosphatidylcholine, in the egg yolk of chickens by the French chemist Theodore Nicolas Gobley. Biological membranes in eukaryotes also contain another kind of lipid, sterol, interspersed among the phospholipids and together they offer membrane fluidity and mechanical strength.