The Role of Lipids in Implementing Specific Functions in the Central Nervous System

The review is devoted to the features of lipid composition of the brain and the description of specific functions of lipids in ensuring the activity of the nervous system. Lipids are an extremely heterogeneous group of molecules, which leads to a wide variety of biological functions they perform. Implementing the functions of the central nervous system, including the processes of learning, memory, decision-making, and regulation of the functions of other organs (both direct and mediated by the endocrine glands), is achieved by the great variety of pathways for the release of neurotransmitters and neuromodulators, their reception, and action potential generation and propagation. All this, in turn, is determined by the lipid composition of membranes, the presence of particular fatty acids in the lipid composition, as well as lipid metabolism. This review will focus on the role of lipids in neurons.