Which of the following statements describes the interaction of water molecules with phospholipids?
A) The polar heads avoid water; the nonpolar tails attract water (because water is polar and opposites attract).
B) Phospholipids do not interact with water because water is polar and lipids are nonpolar.
C) The polar heads interact with water; the nonpolar tails do not.
D) Phospholipids dissolve in water.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Phospholipids have a polar (hydrophilic) head that interacts with water and a nonpolar (hydrophobic) tail that does not. This characteristic is crucial for the formation of cell membranes, where phospholipids arrange themselves into a bilayer with the polar heads facing the water on both sides and the nonpolar tails facing each other, away from the water.

Which of the Following Statements Describes the Interaction of Water