phospholipids Flashcards
phospholipids are important components of what?
cell membranes
phospholipids are made up of what?
2 hydrophobic fatty acid tails bonded to a hydrophilic head consisting of a glycerol and a phosphate group
when exposed to water, phospholipids form what?
a phospholipid bilayer, with the hydrophilic heads facing outward and the hydrophobic tails facing inward
structure of a phospholipid
every phospholipid has a hydrophilic head group, containing a glycerol and a phosphate and 2 hydrophobic fatty acid tails
a phospholipid bilayer
the formation of a double-layer sheet allows the hydrophobic fatty acid tails to remain together and away from water while the hydrophilic phosphate heads are exposed to water