LIFE SCIENCE

Detailed explanation-1: -Abstract. Phospholipids are amphiphilic lipids consisting of a glycerol backbone or an amino-alcohol sphingosine backbone, which is esterified to one or two fatty acids, a phosphate group and a hydrophilic residue.

Detailed explanation-2: -A phospholipid is an amphipathic molecule which means it has both a hydrophobic and a hydrophilic component.

Detailed explanation-3: -Phospholipids are an important class of membrane lipids that contain two categories of lipids, glycerophospholipids and sphingolipids.

Detailed explanation-4: -Phospholipids can be described as amphipathic ("amphi” means “both"), because they have this dual nature (part polar and part non-polar). This characteristic causes phospholipids to self-associate into large macromolecular complexes in an aqueous (watery) environment.

Detailed explanation-5: -The main component of the cell membrane is a phospholipid bi-layer or sandwich. The heads (the phospho part) are polar while the tails (the lipid part) are non-polar.