Many biological materials will self-assemble, taking their shape, in water.This happens because biological molecules, or parts of molecules, will either:
1. be pushed away from water molecules, (they are water-repelling, oily, hydrophobic; they don't dissolve in water) These components are also considered "neutral" in charge, a bit confusing to the lay person. Water "tries" to reattach its hydrogen bonds that have been broken by a neutral substance sitting in it.
2. or be attracted to water molecules (they are water-attracting, hydrophilic, salty; they dissolve in water). These components are "charged."
To get a feel for attraction at work in water, though admittedly of another kind, you might float small bar magnets on styrofoam disks on water, and watch the way the magnets line up.
Before considering proteins, you might want to look at an easier case of lipids, or fats, as they react in water to form membranes.
Jump ahead to the world of proteins.
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