Better Biochemistry: The Problem with Glycerol Phosphate and Citrate and What This Has to Do with Archaebacterial Membranes

Now that you've learned about Fischer Projections [Better Biochemistry: Fischer Projections] you're deady to tackle a more challenging problem. But first some background.

Glycerol phosphate is a major precursor in the synthesis of triacylglycerides and related compounds. These are the major lipid components of membranes. Here's a simplified pathway to show the importance of the glycerol backbone. ("R" stands for long-chain fatty acids.) I've deliberately avoided naming the glycerol-phosphate precursor because it requires a bit of thought.

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