Calcium-independent and membrane-bound phospholipase, that catalyzes the esterolytic cleavage of fatty acids from glycerophospholipids to yield free fatty acids and lysophospholipids, hence regulating membrane physical properties and the release of lipid second messengers and growth factors (PubMed:10744668, PubMed:10833412, PubMed:15695510, PubMed:15908428, PubMed:17213206, PubMed:18171998, PubMed:28442572). Hydrolyzes phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylcholine and probably phosphatidylinositol with a possible preference for the former (PubMed:15695510). Also has a broad substrate specificity in terms of fatty acid moieties, hydrolyzing saturated and mono-unsaturated fatty acids at nearly equal rates from either the sn-1 or sn-2 position in diacyl phosphatidylcholine (PubMed:10744668, PubMed:10833412, PubMed:15695510, PubMed:15908428). However, has a weak activity toward polyunsaturated fatty acids at the sn-2 position, and thereby favors the production of 2-arachidonoyl lysophosphatidylcholine, a key branch point metabolite in eicosanoid signaling (PubMed:15908428). On the other hand, can produce arachidonic acid from the sn-1 position of diacyl phospholipid and from the sn-2 position of arachidonate-containing plasmalogen substrates (PubMed:15908428). Therefore, plays an important role in the mobilization of arachidonic acid in response to cellular stimuli and the generation of lipid second messengers (PubMed:15695510, PubMed:15908428). Can also hydrolyze lysophosphatidylcholine (PubMed:15695510). In the mitochondrial compartment, catalyzes the hydrolysis and release of oxidized aliphatic chains from cardiolipin and integrates mitochondrial bioenergetics and signaling. It is essential for maintaining efficient bioenergetic mitochondrial function through tailoring mitochondrial membrane lipid metabolism and composition (PubMed:28442572). {ECO:0000250|UniProtKB:Q8K1N1, ECO:0000269|PubMed:10744668, ECO:0000269|PubMed:10833412, ECO:0000269|PubMed:15695510, ECO:0000269|PubMed:15908428, ECO:0000269|PubMed:17213206, ECO:0000269|PubMed:18171998, ECO:0000269|PubMed:28442572}. This is the function of PNPLA8 (patatin like domain 8, phospholipase A2 , Ensembl gene identifier ENSG00000135241).