Functional roles of lipids in membranes

Lipids as a class of molecules display a wide diversity in both structure and biological function. A pr imary role of l ipids in cellular function is in the formation of the permeabi l i ty barrier of cells and subcellular organelles in the form of a l ipid bi layer (Fig. 1). Although the major l ipid type defining this bi layer in almost all membranes is g lycerol-based phospholipid, other lipids are important components and vary in their