Question

What is the hydrophobic effect and how does it effect membrane formation? What is its’ influence on protein folding?

Answer 1

Hydrophobic effect as the name suggests is the tendency of non polar molecules to aggregate together in aqueous solution apart from the water molecules.

Cell membranes are formed from a layer of lipids which are hydrophobic in nature and prevent the movement of ions which help in regulation of salt concentration in the cells.

Minimising the number of hydrophobic chains exposed to water is crucial in the protein folding process. The presence of water or aqueous solution increases the probability of the hydrophobic groups falling inwards and leading to protein folding. Hence, the hydrophobic effect helps in the protein folding process.