Question

Lipids are insoluble in water because they are

• A. Neutral
• B. Zwitter ions
• C. Hydrophobic
• D. Hydrophilic

Answer 1

The correct option is C

Hydrophobic

The correct option is C.

Explanation of the correct option:

Option C:

1. A wide range of mostly nonpolar substances are referred to as lipids.
2. This is because they are primarily nonpolar carbon-carbon or carbon-hydrogen bonds in hydrocarbons.
3. Hydrophobic, or "water repelling," non-polar compounds cannot dissolve in water.
4. In a cell, lipids serve numerous purposes.
5. Cells store energy for long-term use in the form of lipids. Lipids also shield plants and animals from their surroundings.
6. For instance, because of their water-repellent hydrophobic nature, they aid in keeping aquatic birds and mammals dry when forming a protective layer over fur or feathers.
7. Lipids are an essential component of all cellular membranes and the building blocks of numerous hormones. Steroids, phospholipids, oils, and waxes are examples of lipids.

Explanation of the incorrect options:

Option A:

1. Oils and fats are both members of the primary class of biological substances known as lipids.
2. Lipids are used by organisms for a variety of purposes, including storing energy.
3. Lipid molecules consist mostly of repeating units termed fatty acids.

Option B:

1. An ion that has two functional groups is called a zwitterion.
2. It is an ion that carries both positive and negative electrical charges, to put it simply.
3. Zwitterions are largely electrically neutral as a result (the net formal charge is usually zero).
4. A basic amine group and an acidic carboxylic acid group are both present in amino acids.
5. A hydrogen ion is internally transferred from the -COOH group to the -NH2 group, leaving an ion with a net positive charge.
6. It is known as a zwitterion.

Option D:

1. Hydrophobic means that lipids detest water.
2. They are insoluble in water.
3. Water cannot bind to a lipid molecule because lipids are non-polar molecules while water is polar.
4. Oils and fats create droplets on the surface of the water because non-polar lipids will attach to themselves instead of to one another.

Final answer: Lipids are insoluble in water because they are hydrophobic.