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glycolipid

glycolipid

1 6.8
A molecule made of a sugar and a fat found in cell membranes
  • noun
  • /ˌɡlaɪkoʊˈlɪpɪd/
  • Specialized
: glicolípido
  • The study highlighted how a specific glycolipid can affect cell membrane integrity.

Examples

  • In general, NKT cells are divided into three subtypes based on their reactivity to the glycolipid GalCer, TCR chains, and CD1 dependency.

    Blog text (11)
  • It should be noted that humans lack the functional iGb3 synthase enzyme; hence they cannot produce this glycolipid 95.

    Blog text (11)
  • Glycolipid-laden macrophages were separated by density gradient centrifugation.

    Academic text (1996)
  • This dose thus appears to be sufficient to restore acid β-glucosidase activity to normal in the glycolipid-laden macrophages.

    Academic text (1996)
  • Glycolipid-loaded CD1d molecules are then recycled back to the cell surface 99–101.

    Blog text (11)
  • Recent findings indicate that many patients with Meniere's disease have anti-sulfated glucuronyl glycolipid (SGGL) serum antibodies.

    Academic text (2002)
  • Scientists found that the glycolipid composition varies significantly among different cell types.

  • In cells, the presence of a glycolipid can impact various lipid interactions.

Surface Forms

glycolipid singular
glycolipids plural

Morphology

glycolipid = lipid (semi-transparent) = glyco + lipid + glyco

The combining form 'glyco-' denotes a carbohydrate component but is a specialized scientific morpheme that may be unfamiliar to average learners, so understanding requires domain knowledge.

Etymology

Glycolipid comes from two parts: glyco- meaning 'sugar' and lipid meaning 'fat'. So a glycolipid is a 'sugar-fat' molecule in the cell membrane that helps cells recognize and communicate with each other.