NYU POB Understanding the Cell Membrane and Phospholipids Worksheet

Worksheet – The Cell membrane



Part A - Reviewing phospholipid structure - This figure reviews the structure of a phospholipid.




Fill in the blanks using the word below:

Glycerol, hydrophilic, fatty acid, phosphate group, hydrophobic, choline group
1. A phospholipid has a "head" made up of a glycerol molecule attached to a single ______________ ,
which is attached to another small molecule.
2. Phospholipids vary in the small molecules attached to the phosphate group. The phospholipid shown
in the figure has a __________________ attached to phosphate.
3. Because the phosphate group and its attachments are either charged or polar, the phospholipid head
is ________________ , which means it has an afÏnity for water.
4. A phospholipid also has two "tails" made up of two _________________ molecules, which consist of
a carboxyl group with a long hydrocarbon chain attached.
5. Because the C-H bonds in the fatty acid tails are relatively nonpolar, the phospholipid tails are
__________________ , which means they are excluded from water.