NEET BIOLOGY

CELL STRUCTURES AND FUNCTION

BIO MOLECULES

Question [CLICK ON ANY CHOICE TO KNOW THE RIGHT ANSWER]
An important feature of the lipid head structure is that they are ____
A
Hydrophobic
B
Hydrophilic
C
Round
D
Square
Explanation: 

Detailed explanation-1: -All of the lipid molecules in cell membranes are amphipathic (or amphiphilic)-that is, they have a hydrophilic (“water-loving”) or polar end and a hydrophobic (“water-fearing”) or nonpolar end. The most abundant membrane lipids are the phospholipids. These have a polar head group and two hydrophobic hydrocarbon tails.

Detailed explanation-2: -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-3: -Phospholipid Bilayer Definition The fatty acid tails are hydrophobic, meaning they do not mix with water and are nonpolar. The heads, however, are made of the phosphate group and have a negative charge, making them hydrophilic and thus are able to mix with water.

Detailed explanation-4: -The hydrophilic heads attract water into the membrane and are then propelled away by the hydrophobic tails. Lastly the water is pulled across the membrane by the 2nd hydrophilic head. Hydrophilic means water loving and attracts water molecules while hydrophobic means water fearing and pushes water molecules away.

Detailed explanation-5: -The hydrophilic head is composed of a choline structure (blue) and a phosphate (orange). This head is connected to a glycerol (green) with two hydrophobic tails (purple) called fatty acids. (D) This view shows the specific atoms within the various subregions of the phosphatidylcholine molecule.

There is 1 question to complete.