Multiple Choice
In a diagram of the lipid bilayer where the polar heads are represented by circles, what do the lines extending from the circles most likely represent?
91
views
8. Membrane Structure
The Lipid Bilayer
Multiple Choice
In the context of the lipid bilayer, which part of a phospholipid is hydrophobic?
A
The fatty acid (hydrocarbon) tails
B
The glycerol backbone
C
The attached polar head group (e.g., choline, serine)
D
The phosphate-containing head group
Verified step by step guidance1
Recall the basic structure of a phospholipid, which consists of a glycerol backbone, two fatty acid tails, and a phosphate-containing polar head group.
Understand the terms 'hydrophobic' and 'hydrophilic': hydrophobic means 'water-fearing' (nonpolar and does not interact well with water), while hydrophilic means 'water-loving' (polar and interacts well with water).
Identify which parts of the phospholipid are polar and which are nonpolar. The phosphate-containing head group and any attached polar groups are polar and hydrophilic.
Recognize that the fatty acid tails are long hydrocarbon chains, which are nonpolar and thus hydrophobic.
Conclude that the hydrophobic part of the phospholipid is the fatty acid (hydrocarbon) tails, as they avoid water and face inward in the lipid bilayer.
Related Videos
Related Practice
