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If a tail is "unsaturated," some or all of the carbons are not bonded to the maximum number of hydrogens possible, due to double bonds. These double bonds create "kinks" in the tails; in other words, it is not a straight carbon chain. This gives rise to the ability for the lipid to have a lower freezing point because the tails don't "pack" together.

This is especially important in the phospholipid bilayer of a plasma membrane. Unicellular organisms which inhabit colder-temperate climates are more likely to have unsaturated phospholipid tails. The "kinks" in the tails prevent the fluid membrane from freezing during the colder months.

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Q: What happens to unsaturated tails at the sites of their double bonds?
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