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Phosphoplipids are very similar to triglycerides in that both molecules are triesters of glycerol. However one of the fatty carboxylate groups is replace with a phosphate group. Because the nature of the phosphate group is zwiterionic meaning it contains both a positive and negative charge throughough the molecule to yield a net charge of 0 overall (there is a negative charge on phosphate group and a positive charge on an amine salt further down the fatty chain. It is this zwitterionic sextion of the molecule that gives rise to the molecule's "polar head". The two fatty esters comprise the two tails.

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What is the characteristic the best describes the tail of a phospholipid molecule?

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