ABSTRACT
Within and around all living cells are membranes. These structures have been studied intensely over the past 75 years as scientists have become increasingly aware of their importance in metabolic regulation as well as in the regulation of the cell’s life cycle. Membranes serve as biological boundaries to the various cell compartments and to the cell itself. If these boundaries altered, cell function is affected. Every organelle within each cell, and each cell type has this boundary. Some of the functions of these membranes are unique to the particular organelle or cell under study while other functions may be common to all cells or all similar organelles. In general, the plasma membrane (the membrane surrounding the cell) serves to exclude certain toxic ions and molecules from the cell. The plasma membranes also accumulate cell nutrients and serves in energy and signal transduction. To a limited extent in the mammal, the plasma membrane has a role of cell locomotion and cell division. This chapter focuses on the lipid components of membranes and discusses how changes in these lipids can affect the functions of membranes and hence the function of the cell. Indeed, the metabolism of the whole body may be affected if the membrane lipids are drastically altered.
