Does Sphingomyelin Have a Phosphate Group?

Sphingomyelin consists of a phosphocholine head group, a sphingosine, and a fatty acid. It is one of the few membrane phospholipids not synthesized from glycerol. The sphingosine and fatty acid can collectively be categorized as a ceramide.

Do sphingolipids contain phosphate?

The other sphingolipids are derivatives of ceramides. ... Sphingomyelins, which are the only phosphorus-containing sphingolipids, are most abundant in nervous tissue, but they also occur in the blood.

Does sphingomyelin contain phosphodiester bonds?

Sphingomyelin is often classified and reported as a phospholipid but it is also a sphingolipid. Like phosphatidylcholine (lecithin), it contains a choline moiety and a phosphodiester linkage, but in contrast to phosphatidylcholine which is a glycerolipid, the backbone (lipid moiety) of sphingomyelin is a ceramide.