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Hey all, I'm pretty new to this, so I apologize if I am doing this wrong. I just have a question I'm hoping someone can help.
For molecules that pass through the bilayer, I understand the structure of the bilayer(polar heads on the outside, nonpolar tails on the inside). My question is about small hydrophobic molecules. I know that they can pass through the bilayer easily, but how is it that they are ably to get past the polar head of the membrane? If they are nonpolar, such as co2 and o2, how do they interact with the polar outside of the membrane? Is it simply the concentration gradient driving the diffusion and small size that enables them to slip through? Thank you!
For molecules that pass through the bilayer, I understand the structure of the bilayer(polar heads on the outside, nonpolar tails on the inside). My question is about small hydrophobic molecules. I know that they can pass through the bilayer easily, but how is it that they are ably to get past the polar head of the membrane? If they are nonpolar, such as co2 and o2, how do they interact with the polar outside of the membrane? Is it simply the concentration gradient driving the diffusion and small size that enables them to slip through? Thank you!
