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Is the centre of a bilayer hydrophobic or hydrophilic?

2 years ago

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10 Replies

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J

Johann Murray


10 Answers

J
Jeremy Victor

The phospholipid bilayer is made out of a hydrophobic tail and a hydrophilic head. Since the hydrophilic tails interact poorly with water, this results in the tails facing inwards as they are repelled from water and thus form the centre of the bilayer. Therefore, the centre of a bilayer is hydrophobic.

S
Shannon Ferrie

Hydrophobic - The centre is 'hiding' from the water

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Phospholipid bilayers have a hydrophilic head and hydrophobic tail.


Hydrophobic fatty acid tails are hydrocarbon chains and are positioned towards each other (so is in the centre). Therefore, the hydrophilic heads face outwards (extracellular).



What is the definition of 'phospholipid bilayer'? - Quora


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Hydrophobic. By facing inwards the hydrophobic tails of phospholipids don't come into contact with water in the cell fluid inside or liquids like blood outside.

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Emily Vitterso

The centre of a bilayer is hydrophobic, because the "tail" end is made of two fatty acid chains, and fatty acids don't dissolve in water (=hydrophobic). If you fill a glass with water and add oil, you will see that the oil floats on top. This is because oils and fatty acids are hydrophobic.

H
Hamzah Kathrada

The centre of a bilayer is hydrophobic

H
Hafsah Shah

Hydrophobic. The tails of the phosphlipids ‘dislike’ water, therefore form the bilayer structure with other phospholipids.

P
Priya Mohan Raj

the centre is hydrophobic

E
Elizabeth Daya Thomas

The center of the Phospho lipid bilayer is hydrophobic tail

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The centre of the phospholipid bilayer is hydrophobic. This is because the head of the bilayer is hydrophilic whereas the tails are hydrophobic.

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