ABSTRACT
Glycolipids are ubiquitous membrane constituents of animals and plants which have
attracted broad interest in the last few decades because they play a major role as cell-
surface-associated antigens and recognition factors. In particular, they are thought to be
involved in asexual reproduction of sponges in which the cell recognition is of funda-
mental importance, and in which it is assumed that this reproduction process is medi-
ated by the sugar heads of glycolipid molecules.
