Carbohydrates on the exterior glyco-structures attach to which molecules?

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Exterior carbohydrate chains are covalently attached to membrane lipids and membrane proteins, forming glycolipids and glycoproteins that decorate the outside of the cell. These glycans are added in the secretory pathway and end up on the outer-facing surface of the plasma membrane, where they play roles in cell recognition and adhesion. They do not attach to nucleic acids inside the nucleus, to inner-facing membrane components, or to cytosolic proteins, which is why the description centers on lipids and proteins on the exterior surface.