This is because they are two-faced molecules, with hydrophilic (water-loving) phosphate heads and hydrophobic (water-fearing) hydrocarbon tails of fatty acids. In water, these molecules ...

This head is connected to a glycerol (green) with two hydrophobic tails (purple) called fatty acids. (D) This view shows the specific atoms within the various subregions of the phosphatidylcholine ...

And blocking the PPP prevented tail regrowth, suggesting that it was this pathway, not glycolysis, fueling regeneration. The PPP makes NADPH, a molecule used to build fatty acids, and ...

The researchers found that during the evolutionary process, these short tails developed hydrophobic properties, meaning that they repel water and are strongly attracted to fatty lipids.

They combined the amino acid with short fatty acids with eight carbon atoms. During combination, the molecules reacted, forming a lipid—one with two tails. They noted that some of them also self ...