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Q: Why do hydrophilic heads point towards water and hydrophobic tails extend away from water?
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What part of a lipid is hydrophobic?

The tails of lipids are hydrophobic and the heads are hydrophilic hope this helped=) The tails of lipids are hydrophobic and the heads are hydrophilic hope this helped=)


Do Phospholipids have hydrophilic and hydrophobic regions?

Yes, hydrophilic phosphate heads and hydrophobic modified carbohydrate tails.


Are the lipids associated with the biological membrane hydrophobic or hydrophilic?

Hydrophyllic heads and hydrophobic tails.


Why are proteins amphipathic?

Because the heads of the phospholipids are hydrophilic (water loving) and the tails of the phospholipids are hydrophobic (water hating). The tails are pointing towards each other and the heads are facing the membranes.


How do the hydrophobic and hydrophilic properties of phospholipids help in maintaining the structure of the cell membrane?

Hydrophilic molecules are attracted to water. Hydrophobic molecules are not attracted to water, but they are attracted to each other. Phospholipid molecules are unusual because they are partly hydrophilic and partly hydrophobic. The phosphate head is hydrophilic and the two hydrocarbon tails are hydrophobic. In water, phospholipids form double layer with the hydrophilic heads in contact with water on both sides and the hydrophilic tails away from water in the centre. This arrangement is found in biological membranes. The attraction between the hydrophobic tails in the centre and between the hydrophilic heads and the surrounding water makes membranes veery stable.


Why is a phospholipid both hydrophilic and hydrophobic?

They have both hydrophilic and hydrophobic heads. In a lipid bilayer, the hydrophilic head of the phospholipid faces the outside of the membrane while the hydrophobic head faces the the hydrophobic head of another phospholipid.


Do glycolipids have hydrophilic heads?

Glycolipids contain hydrophilic heads. These hydrophilic heads interact with each other and form a hydrophilic coating on each side of the bilayer point towards the polar solvent.


What is a cellmembrane?

A cell membrane is a phospholipid bilayer. It is made up of a hydrophilic head(the phosphorous part) and a hydrophobic tail(the lipid part). The hydrophobic tails face inward and the hydrophilic heads face the cytoplasm and the external solution.


Do phospholipids of the plasma membrane have hydrophobic heads and tails?

Hydrophobic means water fearing tails and hydrophilic means water loving heads First of all, these terms are involved when you are looking at the cell membrane. The structure of the cell membrane is called a phospholipid bilayer. Which means that the cell membrane is actually made to two layers and not one. If you take a look at the image, you will see that the little white sphere shaped objects are the hydrophilic heads, and the two little string-like objects attached to the hydophilic heads are the hydrophobic tails. All of the other stuff in the image is all of the extracellular proteins and such. But yes, as the previous answerer said. The hydrophilic heads are on the outer part of the bilayer because they are "water loving". Whereas the hydrophobic tails are on the inner part of the bilayer for two reasons. First, they are hydrophobic or "water fearing" so they will repel water. An example of hydrophobic is oil in water. The oil will form blob-like shapes in the water. Second, the hydrophobic tails also have a somewhat attraction to each other.


What is the function hydrophilic heads?

Hydrophobic is the tail of the the molecule that is atrracted to fatty acids and is a water fearing subtance. Also the tail is None-Polar. Hydrophilic is fatty acid fearing and is attracted to water it is the head of the hydrophobic tail. The head is polar.


What are characteristics of phospholipids?

They have a hydrophilic head which contains a phosphate group and hydrophobic heads that are made up of chains of fatty aids.


What is the chemical biological relevance of polar molecules?

our cells are surrounded by a cell membrane that is a lipid bilayer. this means that the hydrophilic heads, like water, are pointed towards the inside of the cell and the cells' exteriors. this allows polar molecules to move through the membrane and be dissolved within the membrane. the hydrophobic tails of this lipic bilayer are pointed towards eachother. these cannot be in contact with water or nothing will dissolve or be able to pass through them. O==O, the circles are the hydrophilic heads and the lines are the hydrophobic tails.