Читать книгу Introduction to the Human Cell - Danton PhD O'Day - Страница 9

The amphipathic structure of phospholipids allows them to form other configurations such as micelles and liposomes (Figure 2.4). The role of micelles in normal cell functions remains open to discussion. It has not been proven without a doubt that they function normally in cell behavior but they have been linked to biomembrane fusion as discussed in a later chapter. In short, micelles may form at regions of membrane instability (i.e., may play a role in biomembrane fusion. On the other hand, micelles can spontaneously form when the amount of lipid is low compared to the amount of water. They do this because the tails try to avoid water causing groups of them to form micelles as shown in the following figure (Figure 2.4).

Figure 2.4. The amphipathic structure of phospholipids allow them to organize as lipid bilayers, micelles and liposomes.