The hydrophilic head is composed of a choline structure (blue) and a phosphate (orange). This head is connected to a glycerol (green) with two hydrophobic tails (purple) called fatty acids.

Both types of membranes have a specialized structure that ... fatty acid chains. Glycerol is a three-carbon molecule that functions as the backbone of these membrane lipids. Within an individual ...

In the body, lipid molecules can be broken down to make smaller molecules of fatty acids and glycerol. Some fatty acids, called essential fatty acids, are vital for health. They can be found in ...