EVERYDAY SCIENCE

Detailed explanation-1: -The second factor that leads to fluidity is the nature of the phospholipids themselves. In their saturated form, the fatty acids in phospholipid tails are saturated with bound hydrogen atoms; there are no double bonds between adjacent carbon atoms. This results in tails that are relatively straight.

Detailed explanation-2: -The double bond in the fatty acid tail of a phospholipid contributes to the fluidity of the membrane.

Detailed explanation-3: -These double bonds create a kink in the hydrophobic tails. These kinks prevent adjacent phospholipid molecules from packing too close together, which causes an increase in the fluidity of the bilayer. The length of the fatty acid tails also has an effect on the fluidity of the bilayer.

Detailed explanation-4: -1: A phospholipid consists of a head and a tail. The “head” of the molecule contains the phosphate group and is hydrophilic, meaning that it will dissolve in water. The “tail” of the molecule is made up of two fatty acids, which are hydrophobic and do not dissolve in water.

Detailed explanation-5: -When cellular membranes form, phospholipids assemble into two layers because of these hydrophilic and hydrophobic properties. The phosphate heads in each layer face the aqueous or watery environment on either side, and the tails hide away from the water between the layers of heads, because they are hydrophobic.