How are the hydrophilic heads and hydrophobic tails of complex lipids distributed in the lipid bilayer?
A) The hydrophilic heads project to the cytoplasm, and the hydrophobic tails project to the exterior of the cell.
B) The hydrophilic heads project to the exterior of the cell, and the hydrophobic tails project to the cytoplasm.
C) Both the hydrophilic heads and the hydrophobic tails are nonuniformly arranged across the bilayer.
D) Some membranes have only hydrophilic heads, whereas other membranes have only hydrophobic tails.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The hydrophilic heads of complex lipids are polar and attracted to water, so they arrange themselves on the exterior of the cell where they can interact with the extracellular fluid. The hydrophobic tails, on the other hand, are nonpolar and repelled by water, so they arrange themselves on the interior of the cell, away from water. This results in a lipid bilayer with hydrophilic heads on the outside and hydrophobic tails on the inside.

How Are the Hydrophilic Heads and Hydrophobic Tails of Complex