Term Name: | ceramide |
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Synonyms: | a ceramide, Cer, Ceramide, ceramides, N-acylated sphingoid |
Definition: | Ceramides (N-acyl-sphingoid bases) are a major subclass of sphingoid base derivatives with an amide-linked fatty acid. The fatty acids are typically saturated or monounsaturated with chain lengths from 14 to 26 carbon atoms; the presence of a hydroxyl group on carbon 2 is fairly common. Ceramides are generally precursors of more complex sphingolipids. In the illustrated generalised structure, R(1) = OH, OX (where X = acyl, glycosyl, phosphate, phosphonate, etc.), or H. |
Ontology: | ChEBI [CHEBI:17761] ( EBI ) |