What is the head group of a phospholipid?
Phospholipids. Phospholipids consist of two hydrophobic “tails,” which are fatty acid chains, and one hydrophilic “head,” which is phosphate group.
What elements are in the head of a phospholipid?
Phospholipids consist of a glycerol molecule, two fatty acids, and a phosphate group that is modified by an alcohol. The phosphate group is the negatively-charged polar head, which is hydrophilic. The fatty acid chains are the uncharged, nonpolar tails, which are hydrophobic.
What group do phospholipids have?
phosphate group
In general, phospholipids are composed of a phosphate group, two alcohols, and one or two fatty acids. On one end of the molecule are the phosphate group and one alcohol; this end is polar, i.e., has an electric charge, and is attracted to water (hydrophilic).
What are the 4 head groups used to make Glycerophospholipids?
These compounds are glycerophospholipids that have glycerol, phosphoric acid, a nitrogenous base (choline or ethanolamine), and a FA.
What is the head group?
headgroup (plural headgroups) (organic chemistry) A bulky part of a molecule, often containing one or more functional groups, attached to a relatively long aliphatic tail or backbone. (mathematics) The group of instances at the head (high end) of a distribution curve.
How are phospholipids arranged?
The phospholipids in the plasma membrane are arranged in two layers, called a phospholipid bilayer, with a hydrophobic, or water-hating, interior and a hydrophilic, or water-loving, exterior. Each phospholipid molecule has a head and two tails.
What is the head group in ceramide?
Ceramides and glycosphingolipids are N-acyl derivatives of these compounds. The sphingosine backbone is O-linked to a (usually) charged head group such as ethanolamine, serine, or choline. The backbone is also amide-linked to an acyl group, such as a fatty acid.
Are phospholipid and Glycerophospholipid the same thing?
is that phospholipid is (chemistry) any lipid, such as lecithin or cephalin, consisting of a diglyceride combined with a phosphate group and a simple organic molecule such as choline or ethanolamine; they are important constituents of biological membranes while glycerophospholipid is (organic chemistry) any …
Why is the phospholipid bilayer arranged the way it is?
Phospholipids, arranged in a bilayer, make up the basic fabric of the plasma membrane. They are well-suited for this role because they are amphipathic, meaning that they have both hydrophilic and hydrophobic regions. Chemical structure of a phospholipid, showing the hydrophilic head and hydrophobic tails.
Why are phospholipids arranged the way they are?
In this bilayer, the phospholipids are arranged so that all the hydrophillic heads are pointing outward and the hydrophobic tails are pointing inward. This arrangement comes about because the areas both outside and inside your cell are mostly water, so the hydrophobic tails are forced in.