Glycolipids

• Glycolipids are made up of a carbohydrate covalently bonded with a lipid. The carbohydrate portion extends from the phospholipid bilayer into the watery environment outside the cell, where it acts as a cell-surface receptor for specific chemicals.
• Glycolipids have a range of different functions in the cell-surface membrane, including acting as recognition sites, helping maintain the stability of the membrane and helping cells to attach to each other (forming tissues).