Final answer:
Gaucher's disease breaks down glucosylceramide into ceramide, affecting the production of important cellular components like sphingomyelins and gangliosides.
Step-by-step explanation:
Gaucher's disease is a genetic disorder in which glucocerebrosidase, an enzyme that normally breaks down a certain type of fat molecule, is deficient. Specifically, this disease breaks down glucosylceramide (a component of glycophingolipids) by removing the glucose head group, thus forming ceramide. The pathway that involves these molecules is essential for the proper functioning of the cell membrane and various cellular processes. Sphingomyelins, for example, are created when ceramide reacts with phosphatidylcholine. When ceramide reacts with UDP-glucose, glucosylceramide is formed, and when it reacts with UDP-galactose, galactoceramide is created. Additionally, gangliosides, which are important components in nerve cell membranes, are formed from ceramide by the stepwise addition of activated sugars including UDPglc, UDPgal, and others.