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How does the charge distribution on lipid molecules allow them to form a lipid bilayer cell membrane in a wate?

How does the charge distribution on lipid molecules allow them to form a lipid bilayer cell membrane in a water environment? Does it have something to do with the heads of lipids being nonpolar and the tail being polar so that the outside of the bilayer is hydrophilic and the inside is hydrophobic? Thanks, James

Public Comments

1. The outside of the lipid bilayer is polar and hydrophilic. The interior (tails) are nonpolar and hydrophobic. Polarity is due to a molecule being more positive in one area and more negative in another. Water is a polar molecule. The oxygen side carries a slight negative charge due to the shared electrons with hydrogen spend more time around the oxygen atom. This results in the hydrogen side being more positive due to the lack of the electrons presence. Since the inside of the bilayer is nonpolar, it will repel water. Nonpolar substances cannot dissolve polar substances and vice-versa.