Chromatographic methods have shown that lipids with long alkyl or I-alkenyl chains-called alkoxylipids or ether lipids-are widely distributed in human and animal tissues. These compounds comprise neutral alkoxylipids. i. e. 1 -0-alkyl or 1 -0-( 1 -alkenyl)-2,3-di-O-acylglycerols, and alkoxylipids which are linked by a phosphate residue at C-3 to aminoethanol, choline or serine. I -0-Alkylglycerols, 1 -0-( 1 -alkenyl)glycerols and other natural alkoxylipids can be synthesized in high yields. 2-Alkyl. 1,3-dialkyl and trialkylglycerols which are not found in nature are also accessible by synthesis. The neutral alkoxylipids are employed in biomedical investigations. e . g as substrates in acyl-hydrolase systems or in fat absorption studies. The principal features of alkoxylipid biosynthesis have been elucidated. The alkyl residue is derived from a saturated or monounsaturated fatty acid via the corresponding alcohol. l-O-(l-alkenyl)-2-0-acylglycerophosphoryl aminoethanols ("plasmalogens") are apparently formed from the appropriate I-alkyl compounds: this is not possible in the case of the choline series. Both "aminoethanol" and "choline" plasmalogens are, nevertheless, present in most tissues.