micelle

(noun)

Lipid molecules that arrange themselves in a spherical form in aqueous solutions.

Related Terms

Examples of micelle in the following topics:

  • Phospholipids

    • 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.
    • Micelles are lipid molecules that arrange themselves in a spherical form in aqueous solution.
    • The formation of a micelle is a response to the amphipathic nature of fatty acids, meaning that they contain both hydrophilic and hydrophobic regions.

  • Digestion and Absorption

    • The bile salts surround long-chain fatty acids and monoglycerides, forming tiny spheres called micelles.
    • The micelles move into the brush border of the small intestine absorptive cells where the long-chain fatty acids and monoglycerides diffuse out of the micelles into the absorptive cells, leaving the micelles behind in the chyme.