Question

Sphingosine is a

• A. Basic amino acid
• B. Fatty acid
• C. Amino alcohol
• D. Glycolipid

Hint:

Glycerol = 3-carbon triol (backbone of phosphoglycerides).
Sphingosine = 18-carbon amino alcohol (backbone of sphingolipids).
Keeping these two core backbones straight is key for biochemistry lipid questions.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is C

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
Sphingolipids are a major class of eukaryotic membrane lipids that are particularly abundant in neural tissue.
Unlike glycerophospholipids, which are built on a glycerol backbone, sphingolipids are built on a complex, long-chain structural backbone.

Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
The core backbone of all sphingolipids is sphingosine.
Sphingosine is an 18-carbon, unsaturated amino alcohol containing a trans-double bond between carbons 4 and
It has an amino group ($-NH_2$) at carbon 2, and hydroxyl groups ($-OH$) at carbons 1 and
When a long-chain fatty acid is linked via an amide bond to the amino group of sphingosine, the resulting molecule is a ceramide.
Further additions of polar head groups to the primary hydroxyl group of ceramide produce sphingomyelin or glycosphingolipids.
Therefore, sphingosine itself is chemically classified as an amino alcohol.

Step 3: Final Answer:
Sphingosine is an 18-carbon organic amino alcohol that serves as the hydrophobic backbone for sphingolipids.