Used in pharmaceutical and cosmetic formulations as a biocompatible surfactant and emulsifier. Enhances skin permeability in transdermal drug delivery systems due to its amphiphilic structure. Commonly found in liposomal preparations for improved stability and targeted delivery of active ingredients. Also serves as a substrate in enzymatic assays involving phospholipases. Its lyso-form structure makes it useful in studying membrane lipid interactions and cell signaling pathways.