A phospholipid molecule is described as amphipathic because it has
Correct answer: B. a hydrophilic head and hydrophobic tails
- A. two hydrophobic ends
- B. a hydrophilic head and hydrophobic tails
- C. two hydrophilic ends
- D. no charged groups at all
Explanation
The phosphate head is charged and interacts with water, while the two fatty acid tails are non-polar and are excluded from it. Placed in water, the molecules therefore arrange themselves into a bilayer with the tails facing inward, which is the basis of every cell membrane. A molecule with only one kind of end could not form that structure.
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About Lipids
Lipids include fats, oils, waxes, phospholipids and steroids, which are largely insoluble in water and soluble in organic solvents. Coverage includes glycerol and fatty acids, ester bond formation, saturated and unsaturated fats, triglyceride functions, and phospholipids in cell membranes.
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