What is "sphingosine"

n. (context biochemistry English) An unsaturated aliphatic amino alcohol associated with the lipids of brain tissue

Sphingosine (2-amino-4-octadecene-1,3-diol) is an 18-carbon amino alcohol with an unsaturated hydrocarbon chain, which forms a primary part of sphingolipids, a class of cell membrane lipids that include sphingomyelin, an important phospholipid.