Which would you expect to resemble a sphingomyelin molecule more closely: a molecule of phosphatidyl choline containing two molecules of palmitate acid as its fatty acid side chains or a phosphatidyl choline molecule with one molecule of palmitate and one molecule of oleate as its fatty acid side chains?

Question

Guest

Biology

5 September, 03:28

Which would you expect to resemble a sphingomyelin molecule more closely: a molecule of phosphatidyl choline containing two molecules of palmitate acid as its fatty acid side chains or a phosphatidyl choline molecule with one molecule of palmitate and one molecule of oleate as its fatty acid side chains?

+4

Answers (1)

Know the Answer?

Killian Clayton · Answer 1

A phosphatidyl choline molecule with one molecule of palmitate and one molecule of oleate as its fatty acid side chains

Explanation:

Sphingomyelin is a sphingolipid conisting of following components:

1) Phosphocholine head group

2) Sphingosine (amino alcohol containing long unsaturated hydrocarbon chain)

3) Fatty acid.

A bend is introduced due to the presence of oleate in one of the side chains that will closely resemble the shape of sphingomyelin, because the latter also has a double bond and hence a bend.

Hence a phosphatidyl choline molecule with one molecule of palmitate and one molecule of oleate as its fatty acid side chains will resemble a sphingomyelin molecule more closely.