Optometry Admission Test (OAT) Practice

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What is the physical property of the fatty acid tails in the phospholipid bilayer?

Hydrophobic
Hydrophilic
Charged
Amphipathic

The correct answer is: Hydrophobic

The fatty acid tails in the phospholipid bilayer are hydrophobic, meaning they do not interact favorably with water. This property is crucial because it leads to the formation of the bilayer itself. In an aqueous environment, the hydrophobic fatty acid tails are structurally oriented inward, away from water, while the hydrophilic heads face outward, towards the water. This arrangement creates a semi-permeable membrane that is fundamental to the structure and function of cell membranes, allowing certain substances to pass while keeping others out. The concept of amphipathic molecules refers to entities that contain both hydrophilic and hydrophobic regions, which also applies to phospholipids as a whole. However, when specifically focusing on the fatty acid tails, it's clear that their hydrophobic quality primarily influences the bilayer's architecture. Hence, this hydrophobic characteristic is essential to understanding the overall behavior and arrangement of phospholipids in a biological membrane.