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Phospholipids have ________ head group and _________ hydrocarbon tails (fatty acids)

User Kien Chu
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Final answer:

Phospholipids have a hydrophilic head composed of a phosphate group and a polar glycerol molecule, and two hydrophobic tails made up of fatty acids.

Step-by-step explanation:

Phospholipids have a hydrophilic head group and two hydrophobic hydrocarbon tails (fatty acids). The head of a phospholipid consists of a phosphate group that has a polar character due to its negative charge, making it water-attracting or hydrophilic. This phosphate-containing group is attached to a glycerol backbone. The tails are composed of fatty acids, one usually being a saturated fatty acid and the other being an unsaturated fatty acid, which are long hydrocarbon chains that avoid water, thus classified as hydrophobic.

A phospholipid molecule is amphiphilic or 'dual-loving' because it has both hydrophilic and hydrophobic characteristics, enabling it to form the bilayer structure of cell membranes.

User Sidney Sousa
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