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One of the most active and productive areas of biological science
in the past decade has been the study of the biochemical and
biophysical prop erties of cell membranes. There is little doubt
that membranes are essen tial components of all cellular systems
and that each type of membrane manifests specific and
characteristic cellular functions. In the nervous system, important
events such as neurotransmission, receptor binding, ion transport,
axonal transport, and cell uptake are all known to take place
within the neural cell membrane. Phospholipids, one of the major
components of membranes, not only provide the membrane with its
structural integrity and physical proper ties, but also play an
important role in regulating membrane function. Attention has
recently been focused on the asymmetric localization of these
molecules, the identification of discrete metabolic pools of
phospholipids within the membrane matrix, and their involvement in
sig nal transmission. Although synaptic membranes generally lack an
active mechanism for the de novo biosynthesis of phospholipids, a
number of enzymic routes are present for their interconversions and
for facilitating metabolic turnover. Metabolites generated during
the interconversion reactions may also exert a great influence in
modulating membrane func tions. The phosphogylcerides of neural
membranes are especially enriched in polyunsaturated fatty acids.
However, only very small amounts of these fatty acids are present
in the free form, and they are maintained in dynamic equilibrium
with the membrane phospholipids."
One of the most active and productive areas of biological science
in the past decade has been the study of the biochemical and
biophysical prop erties of cell membranes. There is little doubt
that membranes are essen tial components of all cellular systems
and that each type of membrane manifests specific and
characteristic cellular functions. In the nervous system, important
events such as neurotransmission, receptor binding, ion transport,
axonal transport, and cell uptake are all known to take place
within the neural cell membrane. Phospholipids, one of the major
components of membranes, not only provide the membrane with its
structural integrity and physical proper ties, but also play an
important role in regulating membrane function. Attention has
recently been focused on the asymmetric localization of these
molecules, the identification of discrete metabolic pools of
phospholipids within the membrane matrix, and their involvement in
sig nal transmission. Although synaptic membranes generally lack an
active mechanism for the de novo biosynthesis of phospholipids, a
number of enzymic routes are present for their interconversions and
for facilitating metabolic turnover. Metabolites generated during
the interconversion reactions may also exert a great influence in
modulating membrane func tions. The phosphogylcerides of neural
membranes are especially enriched in polyunsaturated fatty acids.
However, only very small amounts of these fatty acids are present
in the free form, and they are maintained in dynamic equilibrium
with the membrane phospholipids."
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