Final answer:
Sphingolipids are based on sphingosine and have fatty acids attached by an amide linkage. Sphingomyelins and cerebrosides are examples of sphingolipids that are important for cellular membrane structure and function, especially in the nervous system.
Step-by-step explanation:
In sphingolipids, the structure is based off of sphingosine, and fatty acids are attached by an amide linkage. Sphingolipids, including sphingomyelins and cerebrosides, form essential components of cellular membranes. These complex lipids are founded upon a backbone of an amino alcohol called sphingosine, which is an unsaturated 18-carbon chain with a double bond. The fatty acids attach to this backbone through an amide bond to form a basic structure known as ceramide.
Sphingolipids can further be classified based on the attachments to this ceramide. Sphingomyelins, regarded as simple sphingolipids, include the addition of a phosphoric acid unit and a choline unit, being important especially in the myelin sheath of nerve cells. Cerebrosides, on the other hand, have a carbohydrate such as glucose or galactose instead of the choline phosphate group, playing a key role in the membranes of nerve and brain cells.