Phospholipids are the type of lipid that make-up the bilayer
of cell membranes. They have an amphiphilic characteristic which enables them
to form lipid bilayers of cell membranes. Phospholipid molecules are composed
of two hydrophobic fatty acid that serve as “tails” and glycerol molecules that
serve as hydrophilic “heads” of cell membranes. Lecithin was the first
phospholipid identified in 1847. It was found in the egg yolk of chickens by
Theodor Nicolas Gobley, a French chemist and pharmacist. Sterols are a common
type of lipid that is found in eukaryotic cells that provide the membrane
fluidity and mechanical strength.
