Lipids as a class encompass a large family of chemical compounds characterized by the presence in the same molecule of a hydrophilic and a hydrophobic part linked together by bonds sufficiently flexible to yield a rather independent behav ior. In the examples mentioned in this review the hydrophobic moiety is formed by one or two hydrocarbon chains of different length and degree of saturation; the hydrophilic groups are more heterogeneous. The following are examples: Soaps: [CH3-(CHz)n_z-Coo-]mxm+; where X is a m-valent cation. Phos pholipids of biological interest: Rl-CO-OCHz I Rz-CO-OCH 0 I I CHz-OPOX I 0-
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Luzzati et al. (1974) studied this question.