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How do the hydrophobic and hydrophilic properties of phospholipids help in maintaining the structure of the cell membrane?
Wiki User
∙ 9y ago
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.
Wiki User
∙ 13y ago
Wiki User
∙ 9y agoHydrophilic and hydrophobic layers restrict entry and exit of substances. Hydrophobic doesn't like liquid or wet substances. Hydrophilic does like liquid.
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What are properties of hydrophobic and hydrophilic?
hydrophobic is water hating and hydrophilic is water loving ( attracts water).
What makes phospholipid molecules uniquely suited to their role in membrane structure?
Phosopholipids have both a hydrophilic (water loving) and hydrophobic (water hating) region. This enables them to effectively make a barrier between the fluid inside and outside of the cell. The heads of phospholipids are hydrophilic - and so form the surfaces of the membrane, with their hydrophobic (lipid) tails facing inwards.
What is a bipartite protein?
It's a protein with two distinct domains. Each domain might have different biochemical properties (Hydrophobic/hydrophilic) or functional role (2 enzymatic different activities or one domain required for the subcellular localization, the other one a signal transduction....)
What makes amino acids or proteins hydrophilic or hydrophobic?
The composition of all of the particular Amino Acids depends upon the composition of their -R groups - [side chains] which can be: - animo acids with nonpolar -R groups, or uncharged polar -R groups, or charged polar -R groups at pH 6.0 to 7.0, or basic -R groups (positively charged at pH 6.0). Some contain sulfur that have special requirements. Amino acids chain into proteins thusly: -C-C-N-C-C-N- {the peptide bond} the -R group radiating from the -C-N- [or is that the -N-C-] moiety. The simplest hydrophilic -R group is the proton - H+ {Glycine}.
How do the properties of lipids help explain the structure of the cell membrane?
Lipids have hydrophilic (water loving) heads, and hydrophobic (tails). Therefore, the tails face one another while the heads face out to the water. And if particles must pass through the cellular membrane that are hydrophilic they must go through protein channels within the cell membrane.
Which molecule has hydrophilic and hydrophobic properties and would be found in plasma membranes?
That would be phospholipids. They are a major component of the plasma membrane and contain hydrophilic, as well as, hydrophobic properties.
What are properties of hydrophobic and hydrophilic?
hydrophobic is water hating and hydrophilic is water loving ( attracts water).
When mixed with water phospholipids spontaneously form membranes. what properties of phospholipids cause this to happen?
Hydrophilic phosphate groups that are attracted to water and hydrophobic fatty acid tails that avoid water.
What makes it possible for the plasma membrane to self assemble?
The plasma membrane is able to self-assemble due to the properties of its constituent molecules, such as phospholipids. Phospholipids have hydrophilic heads and hydrophobic tails, which drives them to form a bilayer structure when exposed to water. This spontaneous assembly is driven by the hydrophobic effect and results in the formation of a stable and selectively permeable membrane.
What molecules add support to plasma membrane?
The intrinsic properties of the hydrophilic/hydrophobic/hydrophilic double layer of the membrane gives it support, due to the hydrophobic effect.
What makes phospholipid molecules uniquely suited to their role in membrane structure?
Phosopholipids have both a hydrophilic (water loving) and hydrophobic (water hating) region. This enables them to effectively make a barrier between the fluid inside and outside of the cell. The heads of phospholipids are hydrophilic - and so form the surfaces of the membrane, with their hydrophobic (lipid) tails facing inwards.
How can a polypeptide have both hydrophilic and hydrophobic properties?
Many organic molecules have an end that will dissolve in fat (this would be the hydrophobic end) and an end that will dissolve in water (this will be the hydrophilic end). As the ends are joined together by the rest of the molecule, the molecule has both properties at once and such molecules are frequently used in the formation of organic membranes.
What is lipids or fats?
Lipids are broadly defined as molecules that are hydrophobic (insoluble in water) or ampiphilic (possessing both hydrophobic and hydrophilic properties). Phospholipids are a subgroup of ampiphilic lipids which contain a negatively charged phosphate group.
What makes phospholipids the prime structure for making a cell selectively permeable?
The property of phospholipids that makes them ideal for making up the selectively permeable cell membrane is their ability to form a lipid bilayer. A hydrophilic head and a hydrophobic tail play an important role in the cell membrane.
Which properties of water provide a medium in which other molecules can interact?
It is both weakly hydrophilic and weakly hydrophobic at the same time. Water is a weak acid.
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.
What is an amphiphile?
An ampholyte is an amphoteric electrolyte.
