It also takes part in the process of cell division and the healthy growth of glands, including the thymus. It helps the body metabolize fats, carbohydrates and proteins. That is exactly why they are termed essential. These fatty acids provided by plant foods function in our bodies as components of nerve cells, cellular membranes, and hormone-like substances know as prostaglandins. For simplicity sake, let's just examine the role of essential fatty acids in cellular membranes.
Phospholipids play a major role in determining the integrity and fluidity of cell membranes.
What determines the type of phospholipid in the cell membrane is the type of fat consumed. A diet composed of largely saturated fat, animal fatty acids, cholesterol, and trans-fatty acids is going to lead to membranes which are much less fluid in nature than the membranes of an individual consuming optimum levels of both essential fatty acids. A relative deficiency of essential fatty acids in cellular membranes makes it virtually impossible for the cell membrane to perform its vital function. The basic function of the cell membrane is to serve as a selective barrier that regulates the passage of certain materials in and out of the cell. Homeostasis refers to the maintenance of constant conditions in the internal environment of the cell, and on a larger scale, the human body as a whole.