Phosphoethanolamine Unit Converter

Phosphoethanolamine (PEA) is a naturally occurring amino acid derivative that serves as a key intermediate in the production of phospholipids, the building blocks of cell membranes.

It is formed when the enzyme ethanolamine kinase adds a phosphate group to ethanolamine, and it then feeds into the Kennedy pathway to produce phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), one of the most abundant phospholipids in human cells.

Phosphoethanolamine is present throughout the body's tissues and fluids, including blood, urine, and cerebrospinal fluid. Measuring its plasma level provides insight into phospholipid metabolism, bone mineralization, and certain inherited metabolic disorders.

Phosphoethanolamine is produced throughout the body when the enzyme ethanolamine kinase phosphorylates ethanolamine using ATP. This magnesium- and manganese-dependent reaction occurs in virtually all tissues, with the resulting phosphoethanolamine then entering the Kennedy pathway for membrane phospholipid synthesis.