"All sphingolipids contain a sphingoid long-chain base ( e.g. sphingosine) that is linked to a fatty acid molecule through an amide bond, thereby forming the ceramide unit. Addition of phosphocholine or carbohydrates to ceramide leads to sphingomyelin or glycosphingolipids, respectively." General sphingolipid structure.

a lipid derived from a sphingoid backbone

Sphingolipids are a class of lipids derived from the aliphatic amino alcohol sphingosine. The sphingosine backbone is O-linked to a (usually) charged head group such as ethanolamine, serine, or choline. The backbone is also amide-linked to an acyl group, such as a fatty acid.