Lipids often protect their hydrophobic ends from water by gathering together and placing the tails on the inside. Picture this as a three dimensional sphere, or micelle, an early evolution. There are even reverse micelles.It takes energy to make a surface of water. It is more economical, -- takes less energy -- to make spheres than to make other shapes because there is less area in the surface of a sphere., so fewer hydrogen bonds of water need to be broken.
Make a film, shake up the film and watch it reaggragate. You should get vesicles first and, if it rests long enough, you should get a film.
A bacterium is held together by a single membrane, just one layer, but our cell membranes are usually double. Read more about membranes.
Home-+-Index-+-
