The glyceryl ethers in man and cow

The glyceryl ethers were studied in lipids from human bone marrow, spleen, and milk; from yellow bone marrow and milk of cow; and from the yolk of hens’ eggs. The highest concentrations were found in human red bone marrow and in human milk. No glyceryl ethers could be demonstrated in red cells or egg yolk. Besides the main components (chimyl, batyl, and selachyl alcohols), several new glyceryl ethers were found. The glyceryl ethers in man and cow were generally much more saturated than those in the liver oils of elasmobranch fish, although a fairly high degree of unsaturation was found in the glyceryl ethers of human milk.