Biology / Unit 2 Bio 0323 short lesson, about 20 seconds
Membrane Phospholipids, Oriented
Captions available
The idea
A membrane phospholipid is amphiphilic — hydrophilic head, hydrophobic tails — and this dual character orients every phospholipid the same way.
In practice
Hydrophilic heads face the watery fluid on both sides of the membrane; hydrophobic tails cluster in its interior.
Where people slip
Amphiphilic names a molecule with both a water-loving and water-fearing region, neither purely polar nor nonpolar.
Your place on the trail
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