Gangliosides are a large class of complex lipids that are abundant in the neuronal cell membranes in the brain. These molecules consist of sphingolipids with one or more sialic acids attached to the sugar chain. As structural components of cell membranes, gangliosides have their two hydrocarbon chains embedded in the plasma membrane, while the oligosaccharides are located on the cell surface, serving as recognition points for extracellular substances or adjacent cells' surface molecules.