The Tails of a Phospholipid Molecule in a Plasma Membrane

Question

The tails of a phospholipid molecule in a plasma membrane are
A) hydrophilic.
B) composed of amino acids.
C) hydrophobic.
D) facing the cytosol.
E) interlocked to provide membrane strength.

Accepted Answer

The tails of a phospholipid molecule in a plasma membrane are composed of fatty acids, which are hydrophobic (water-fearing) in nature. This causes the tails to orient towards each other away from the watery environment both inside and outside the cell to form a lipid bilayer.