Basis of differentiation | Glycolipids | Phospholipids |
Definition | Glycolipids are carbohydrates-attached lipids (which are covalently linked) | A phospholipid is a lipid made of a glycerol backbone bound to a phosphate group and 2 fatty acids |
Structure (in depth) | Is made of a mono or oligosaccharide group (part of the hydrophilic head) bound to a sphingolipid (part of hydrophobic tail) or a glycerol molecule attached to one or two fatty acids | Phospholipids have a glycerol molecule, two fatty acids (part of the hydrophobic tail), and a phosphate group modified by an alcohol (part of the hydrophilic head) |
Composition | Are lipids composed of sugar moieties | Phospholipids are lipids containing phosphorus |
Location | Glycolipids found exclusively on the outer leaflet of cellular membranes | Phospholipids are found in the inner and outer layers of all membranes within cells (in the form of a lipid bilayer) |
Function | Glycolipids are involved in cell signaling, cell recognition, and cell adhesion | Phospholipids are the essential building blocks of cell membranes, and functions as a barrier to protect the cell from external stressors |