Question 14 Which of the following describes how phospholipids are positioned in the double layer cell membrane ? hydrophobic fatty acid tails face inside and outside the cell hydrophobic phosphate heads face into each other inside the cell membrane hydrophilic phosphate heads face inside and outside the the phospholipids end to end phosphate head to fatty acid

Answer 1

In the context of a phospholipid bilayer, the correct description of how phospholipids are positioned in the double-layer cell membrane is: hydrophilic phosphate heads face outside and inside the cell, while hydrophobic fatty acid tails face each other inside the bilayer.

To clarify:

• The hydrophilic phosphate heads are attracted to water and align towards the aqueous environments (the exterior of the cell and the cytoplasm).
• The hydrophobic fatty acid tails repel water and face inward, forming a hydrophobic core between the two layers of phosphate heads.

Thus, the correct configuration ensures that the tails are protected from the watery environments both outside and inside the cell.