Question

In: Biology

What is a property of phospholipids that explains why lipids self-assemble into a bilayer?


Phospholipids have the ability to spontaneously form complex structures such as lipid bilayers. 


What is a property of phospholipids that explains why lipids self-assemble into a bilayer? 

  • Lipids assemble the membrane around a protein scaffold, which then dissociates 

  • The hydrophobic tails of lipids covalently bond with one another within the membrane. 

  • Opposite charges on the heads and tails of lipids cause them to be attracted to one another. 

  • The hydrophilic heads of lipids are exposed to water at the membrane's surface. 

  • Proteins help lipids form long chains. 

Solutions

Expert Solution

phospholipids have a polar head so lipids arragnesuch that that polar heads are exposed to the hydrophilic environment and the non-polar hydrocarbon chains interact each other a lipid bilayer forms by interacting the polar heads together and hydrocarbon chains of each layer interact each other so the answer is

the hydrophilic heads of the lipids are exposed to water at the membrane's surface


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