hydrophilic

Examples of hydrophilic in the following topics:

• Fluid Mosaic Model

  • Thus, the membrane surfaces that face the interior and exterior of the cell are hydrophilic.
  • This type of protein has a hydrophilic region or regions, and one or several mildly hydrophobic regions.
  • The glycocalyx is highly hydrophilic and attracts large amounts of water to the surface of the cell.
  • This phospholipid molecule is composed of a hydrophilic head and two hydrophobic tails.
  • The hydrophilic head group consists of a phosphate-containing group attached to a glycerol molecule.

• Functional Groups

  • Functional groups are usually classified as hydrophobic or hydrophilic depending on their charge or polarity.
  • Among the hydrophilic functional groups is the carboxyl group found in amino acids, some amino acid side chains, and the fatty acid heads that form triglycerides and phospholipids.
  • This carboxyl group ionizes to release hydrogen ions (H+) from the COOH group resulting in the negatively charged COO- group; this contributes to the hydrophilic nature of whatever molecule it is found on.
  • Other functional groups, such as the carbonyl group, have a partially negatively charged oxygen atom that may form hydrogen bonds with water molecules, again making the molecule more hydrophilic.

• Phospholipids

  • A phospholipid is an amphipathic molecule which means it has both a hydrophobic and a hydrophilic component.
  • A single phospholipid molecule has a phosphate group on one end, called the "head," and two side-by-side chains of fatty acids that make up the lipid "tails. " The phosphate group is negatively charged, making the head polar and hydrophilic, or "water loving."
  • As the phosphate groups are polar and hydrophilic, they are attracted to water in the intracellular fluid.
  • If a drop of phospholipids are placed in water, the phospholipids spontaneously forms a structure known as a micelle, with their hydrophilic heads oriented toward the water.
  • The formation of a micelle is a response to the amphipathic nature of fatty acids, meaning that they contain both hydrophilic and hydrophobic regions.

• Selective Permeability

  • The hydrophobic and hydrophilic regions of plasma membranes aid the diffusion of some molecules and hinder the diffusion of others.
  • Recall that plasma membranes are amphiphilic; that is, they have hydrophilic and hydrophobic regions.

• Water’s Solvent Properties

  • Sugar, sodium chloride, and hydrophilic proteins are all substances that dissolve in water.
  • Since many biomolecules are either polar or charged, water readily dissolves these hydrophilic compounds.

• Pressure, Gravity, and Matric Potential

  • Every plant cell has a cellulosic cell wall, which is hydrophilic and provides a matrix for water adhesion, hence the name matric potential.
  • However, in solute potential, the other components are soluble, hydrophilic solute molecules, whereas in Ψm, the other components are insoluble, hydrophilic molecules of the plant cell wall. m cannot be manipulated by the plant and is typically ignored in well-watered roots, stems, and leaves.

• Digestion and Absorption

  • Bile contains bile salts, which have hydrophobic and hydrophilic sides.
  • The bile salts' hydrophilic side can interface with water, while the hydrophobic side interfaces with lipids, thereby emulsifying large lipid globules into small lipid globules.
  • The surface is also composed of the hydrophilic phosphate "heads" of phospholipids.

• Water’s Polarity

  • A polar substance that interacts readily with or dissolves in water is referred to as hydrophilic (hydro- = "water"; -philic = "loving").

• Facilitated transport

  • Channel proteins have hydrophilic domains exposed to the intracellular and extracellular fluids; they additionally have a hydrophilic channel through their core that provides a hydrated opening through the membrane layers .

• Enzyme Active Site and Substrate Specificity

  • Each amino acid residue can be large or small; weakly acidic or basic; hydrophilic or hydrophobic; and positively-charged, negatively-charged, or neutral.