EVERYDAY SCIENCE

Detailed explanation-1: -Phospholipids, arranged in a bilayer, make up the basic fabric of the plasma membrane. They are well-suited for this role because they are amphipathic, meaning that they have both hydrophilic and hydrophobic regions. Chemical structure of a phospholipid, showing the hydrophilic head and hydrophobic tails.

Detailed explanation-2: -Phospholipid Classes and Biological Functions. Ubiquitous to all tissues, phospholipids (PLs) are essential components of cell membranes consisting of a hydrophilic head group and a hydrophobic tail giving phospholipids their amphiphilic properties.

Detailed explanation-3: -Phospholipids are major components of the plasma membrane, the outermost layer of animal cells. Like fats, they are composed of fatty acid chains attached to a glycerol backbone. Unlike triglycerides, which have three fatty acids, phospholipids have two fatty acids that help form a diacylglycerol.

Detailed explanation-4: -Although cholesterol is not present in bacteria, it is an essential component of animal cell plasma membranes. Plant cells also lack cholesterol, but they contain related compounds (sterols) that fulfill a similar function.

Detailed explanation-5: -Within a cell membrane, the primary type of lipid used is the phospholipid. Phospholipids form the majority of our cell membranes and are made from two primary parts. These parts are the hydrophilic phosphate head and the hydrophobic fatty acid tail.