Formation of Phospholipid Bilayers
- Phospholipids form the basic structure of the cell membrane
- Cell membranes are phospholipid bilayers
- Membranes are formed when a hydrophilic phosphate head bonding with two hydrophobic hydrocarbon (fatty acid) tails
- Phospholipids have a hydrophobic and a hydrophilic region
- The phosphate head of a phospholipid is polar, so is hydrophilic and therefore soluble in water
- The fatty acid tail of a phospholipid is nonpolar, so is hydrophobic and therefore insoluble in water
- Molecules with both polar/hydrophilic and non-polar/hydrophobic regions are said to be amphipathic
Phospholipid structure diagram
Phospholipids contain polar heads and non-polar tails, so are said to be amphipathic
- When placed in water, the hydrophilic phosphate heads of phospholipids orient themselves towards the water and the hydrophobic hydrocarbon tails orient themselves away from the water, causing them to form a phospholipid monolayer
Phospholipid monolayer diagram
Phospholipids can form monolayers on the surface of water
- When phospholipids are mixed with water, two-layered structures known as phospholipid bilayers can form; this is the basic structure of the cell membrane
Phospholipid bilayer diagram
A phospholipid bilayer is composed of two layers of phospholipids; their hydrophobic tails face inwards and hydrophilic heads face outwards
- The amphipathic nature of phospholipids means that the phospholipid bilayer acts as a barrier to most water-soluble substances
- The non-polar fatty acid tails prevent polar molecules or ions from passing between them across the membrane
- This means that water-soluble molecules such as sugars, amino acids and proteins cannot leak out of the cell and unwanted water-soluble molecules cannot get in