Phospholipids Lab Report

Phospholipids are made up from many smaller molecules combine these are: fatty acid chains, glycerol, phosphate and choline. Two of the carbons of the glycerol are joined to two fatty acids in a condensation reaction creating ester bonds. The final carbon is bonded to the phosphate molecule, which in turn is connected via a covalent bond to choline. Due to the polar nature of the glycerol phosphate and choline molecules, they create a hydrophilic area (known as the hydrophilic head). Whereas, the fatty acids are non-polar and therefore form a hydrophobic area (known as the hydrophobic tails). This means that phospholipids are amphipathic, as they have both a hydrophobic and hydrophilic sections.
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As the phospholipids are not able to do this on their own they combine to create the optimal situation. Four main solutions for this are micelles, liposomes, monolayer and bilayer sheet. Micelles uses the least amount of phospholipids as it forms a small single layer spherical ball with the hydrophobic tails surrounded by the hydrophilic head keeping the water out. Liposomes are similar to micelles but yet are larger and duel layered (bilayer) as well as the outer layer it has another inner layer of phospholipids from another aqueous environment that the liposome has formed round. The Monolayers can only be formed at the surface on the water this is as it is the only area that the phospholipids can avoid the water without creating a different environment. Hydrophobic tails stick upward out of the water at the surface and the hydrophilic heads remain in the water. Finally, the bilayer sheets form across the environment, for example if placed in a breaker of water it is possible that the phospholipids form a bilayer from each side of the breaker (creating 2 new
There are five major types of integrated proteins these are: transporter, enzyme, cell surface receptor, identity markers and cell adhesion. Each of these types are greatly important in the functioning of cells in eukaryote organisms. Intercellular communication is needed for a eukaryotic organism to survive as it needs to be able to interact with the external environment. Cells would not produce needed products for the body to use to manage the internal environment as they cannot receive any signals from the receptor cells, without cell surface receptors and identity markers cells the chemical signals would not be able to be