Some lipid characteristics of red cell membranes of various animal species

Determinations were carried out of some lipid classes of red cell ghosts of sheep, ox, pig, man, rabbit and rat. In the studied red cell ghosts only small differences appeared to exist in the amounts of total lipids, phosphatides and free cholesterol. On the other hand, determinations of the individual types of phosphatides revealed a most pronounced deviation in the quantitative proportions of the major phosphatides. In the given order of animals a significant increase of the lecithin percentage of the ghost phosphatides was observed. Possible relations between the specific liquid composition and the properties of the red cell membranes are discussed