164 



FATS, OILS AND LIPINES. 



[CH. VI. 



The constitution of lecithin can be represented as 

 follows : 



-" Tatty acid radicle. 



Glycerol Fatty acid radicle. 



acid radicle choline. 



It can be regarded as a complex of glycero-phosphoric 

 acid with fatty acids and with choline. 



Glycero-phosphoric acid is 

 CH 2 .OH 



H.OH 

 CH 2 O 

 HO P=O 

 OH 



Choline is 



N- 



C 2 H 4 .OH 



:(CH 3 ) 3 

 (OH) 



so that if the fatty acids be represented by R.COOH, the 

 constitutional formula of lecithin may be 



CH 2 .OOC.R. 

 CH. OOC.R. 

 CH 2 O 



i 



HO P=O 



N 



E(CH 3 ) 3 

 OH 



