What are lipids surrounded by?
Chains of carbon surrounded by hydrogen (hydrocarbons), with small amounts of oxygen ( a carboxyl group)
Lipids are biomolecules that are non-polar in nature. Due to their hydrophobicity (inability to mix with water), they are surrounded by hydrophilic substances like proteins and phospholipids in biological systems. These hydrophilic substances assist in the transportation of lipids through the bloodstream and also help in the formation of various cell membranes in living organisms. In the case of cell membranes, phospholipids form a bilayer with the hydrophobic fatty acid tails facing inwards and the hydrophilic head groups facing outwards. In this structure, the hydrophobic tails surround and interact with the lipid molecules, while the hydrophilic heads interact with the surrounding water molecules. This provides a stable and protective structure for the cell.
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