Sphingolipids are ubiquitous membrane components in eukaryotic cells and in a few bacteria. Recent information indicated that sphingolipids are an impor tant class of messenger molecules involved in many significant signal trans duction pathways, regulating cell growth, differentiation, senescence, and apoptosis in mammals and yeast. However, the biological function of sphingolipids in plants has been explored only recently and remains elusive. Increasing investigation has shown that sphingolipids and their metabolites play an important role in plants. In this review, we describe the structure, metabolic pathway and biological function of sphingolipids.