amphiphilic entity
Sign in to savethumb|Phospholipids, such as this [[glycerophospholipid, have amphipathic character.|251x251px]] thumb|250px|right|Cross-section view of the structures that can be formed by phospholipids|biological amphiphiles in aqueous solutions. Unlike this illustration, micelles are usually formed by non-biological, single-chain, amphiphiles, soaps or detergents, since it is difficult to fit two chains into this shape
Article
6 sectionsContents
- Structure
- Biological role
- Examples
- See also
- References
- External links
thumb|Phospholipids, such as this [[glycerophospholipid, have amphipathic character.|251x251px]] thumb|250px|right|Cross-section view of the structures that can be formed by phospholipids|biological amphiphiles in aqueous solutions. Unlike this illustration, micelles are usually formed by non-biological, single-chain, amphiphiles, soaps or detergents, since it is difficult to fit two chains into this shape
In chemistry, an amphiphile (), or amphipath, is a dipolar chemical compound possessing both hydrophilic (water-loving, polar) and lipophilic (fat-loving, nonpolar) properties. Such a compound is called amphiphilic or amphipathic. Amphiphilic compounds include surfactants and detergents. The phospholipid amphiphiles are the major structural component of cell membranes.