BIOLOGY 172 Chapter 5.1-5.2: Lipids and Membranes

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Lipids are the main components of cell membranes. Cell membranes are composed of 2 layers of lipids. Phospholipids are made up of glycerol backbone attached to a phosphate group (hydrophilic) and two fatty acids (hydrophobic) Amphipathic molecules have both hydrophobic and hydrophilic regions. In aqueous environments, amphipathic molecules spontaneously arrange themselves so that the polar heads are on the outside and are interacting with water while the nonpolar tails come together on the inside. Shape of the phospholipid structure is determined by bulkiness of head group relative to tails. Micelles are spherical structures forming with bulky heads and 1 fatty acids. Bilayers are less bulky at the head and have 2 fatty acids; spontaneously form, as long as the concentration of free phospholipids is high enough and ph of solution is similar to the ph of the cell. Liposomes are enclosed bilayer structures spontaneously formed by phospholipids in neutral ph environments.

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