How are phospholipids similar to lipids such as triglycerides? How are they different?
1 Answer
Phospholipids and fats both contain hydrocarbon chains (e.g. fatty acids) bound to glycerol with ester linkages through a dehydration reaction.
However, phospholipids are amphipathic whereas fats are nonpolar. This gives rise to why phospholipids structure cell membranes.
The red circles are the polar end of the phospholipid which usually contain phosphate functional groups. They form a membrane because in aqueous solution, the hydrophilic heads all orient themselves towards the extra and intracellular solution.
