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Why is it energetically favorable for phospholipid bilayers to form in an aqueous solution?
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How do phospholipids associate with water to provide structure to cell membranes?
In a water solution, phospholipids form a bilayer where the hydrophobic tails point towards each other on the interior and only the hydrophilic heads are exposed to the water. Phospholipid bilayers are critical components of cell membranes.
What does the lipid bilayer molecules do?
The lipid bilayer that forms the cellular membrane forms an effective semi-permeable membrane. The lipid bilayer typically can typically exclude larger molecules based on size (molecular weight) and other molecules based on charge (ions and salts).
What compound is responsible for special functions of cell membranes?
The compound that composes most of the cell membrane in most animal cell is called...phospholipid. This molecule works by being amphipathic, it has a polar end and a nonpolar end. This allows two layers of this molecule to for the phospholipid bilayer, with the nonpolar tails excluded from the water and turned inward and the polar heads turned outward into the solution.
What does the cell lysis solution due to the cells membrane?
It dissolves the phospholipid bilayer of cell membranes by forming water-soluble complexes with them. Once the cell membranes are degraded, the cell contents flow out & create a soup of dissolved membranes, cellular proteins, DNA, & other contents.
If solution A has more solute and less water than solution B then solution A is what to solution B?
Solution A is highly concentrated than solution B.
How do phospholipids associate with water to provide structure to cell membranes?
In a water solution, phospholipids form a bilayer where the hydrophobic tails point towards each other on the interior and only the hydrophilic heads are exposed to the water. Phospholipid bilayers are critical components of cell membranes.
31.Hydrophobic interactions of the tails of phospholipids can produce?
lipid bilayer ------ Actually, this is not necessarily true. What 'clusters' form is going to depend on not only the concentration of the lipids in solution, but what the composition of the solution is as well. Generally, lipids in a water-solution (or a salt solution, or buffer, or whatever it may be) will first form micelles, ie. lipid monolayers where the tails all face inwards, to prevent their hydrophobic tails from being exposed to the aqueous environment. Depending on the conditions of the solution, they may form liposomes (ie. micelles that have a double layer rather than a monolayer), or sheets of phospholipid bilayers. The ends of the latter option, however, are energetically unfavorable. If your lipids are in an oil solution, then you are going to see the formation of inverse-micelles, where the tails face out towards the lipophilic (hydrophobic) environment, and the hydrophilic head groups are going to face inwards. ------
What is a Phsospholipid?
Phospholipids belong to a group of lipids called amphipathic lipids. The two ends of a phospholipid differ both physically and chemically. One end of each molecule is hydrophilic and is composed of glycerol, phosphate. The other end is the fatty acid portion of the molecule and is hydrophobic and not soluble in water. The amphipathic properties of phospholipids allow them to form lipid bilayers in aqueous solution and are the fundamental components of cell membranes.
Why do some pair of ions in solution form precipitates?
It is a matter of lattice energy vs. heat of solution. The lattice energy is the energy change associated with the ions in the gas phase forming a solid (crystalline) lattice. It is typically an exothermic process, liberating energy. The heat of solution is the energy change associated with the ions being dissolved by solvent, and can be exothermic or endothermic. If the heat of solution is more exothermic than the lattice energy, than it is energetically favorable for the ionic compound to be solvated. If the lattice energy is more exothermic, than solvation will not occur.
Does phospholipids form cell membranes?
Yes, they are the most abundant and important constituents of the lipid bilayer of cell membranes. Phospholipids have a polar head group and two hydrophobic hydrocarbon tails. The tails are usually fatty acids, and they can differ in lenght (normally, their lenght ranges between 14 and 24 carbon atoms). One tail usually has one or more cis-double bonds (that is, it is unsaturated), while the other tail does not (that is, it is saturated). It is the shape and the amphipatic nature of the phospholipid molecules that cause them to form bilayers spontaneously in aqueous solution. One of the most important characteristics of lipid bilayers is its fluidity, which is crucial to many membrane functions.
How do fatty acid hydrocarbon chains interact with each other within a plasma membrane or lipid bylayer?
Fatty acids don't actually interact with each other. A better way to describe it is that they clump together by a "hydropobic exclusion". Interactions between hydropbobic and hydrophylic molecules are energetically unfavourable means that the fatty acid chains isolate themselves from the polar solution around them. Similarly interactions between the polar parts of the bilayer and the polar solution around them is energetically favourable. In summary; fatty acid chains DO NOT interact with eachother. The polar solution EXCLUDES them from the outside of the bilayer.
How do cells become cells?
Cells differentiate and become specialized cells in order to carry out different functions from embryonic stem cells. However, if you're asking how a cell came into existence, that's a very good question, and no body really knows. An interesting thing to know though, is that when you put phospholipids (what the lipid bilayer of cells is made of) into water, they spontaneously form a lyposome. The reason is because it is the most energetically favorable to do so. This means, that if you have enough phospholipids in solution, you naturally have a cell membrane.
Why do phospholipids orient in a bilayer when in a watery environment such as a cell?
The phospholipid molecules that make up the cell membrane naturally form a lipid bilayer. This is the most energetically-favorable conformation and is driven by the same forces that create micelles in a detergent solution.
Why does a grape shrivel up when placed in a hypertonic solution of salt?
This is caused by ex-osmosis. The slat solution wants to become less concentrated as that is more energetically favorable. It draws the water out of the water-rich cucumber which causes it to shrivel up. The water is following a concentration gradient from low to high.
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.
What does the lipid bilayer molecules do?
The lipid bilayer that forms the cellular membrane forms an effective semi-permeable membrane. The lipid bilayer typically can typically exclude larger molecules based on size (molecular weight) and other molecules based on charge (ions and salts).
What compound is responsible for special functions of cell membranes?
The compound that composes most of the cell membrane in most animal cell is called...phospholipid. This molecule works by being amphipathic, it has a polar end and a nonpolar end. This allows two layers of this molecule to for the phospholipid bilayer, with the nonpolar tails excluded from the water and turned inward and the polar heads turned outward into the solution.
