What Are Lipid Rafts and Why Are They Important?

💡 The Answer

• Lipid rafts are microdomains in the cell membrane enriched with cholesterol and sphingolipids.
• They act as organizing centers for signaling molecules and membrane trafficking.
• Rafts are more ordered and less fluid than the surrounding bilayer, facilitating protein clustering.
• They play crucial roles in cell signaling, endocytosis, and pathogen entry.