Question

Where would the following substances partition in water containing palmitic acid micelles? (a) H3N¬CH2¬COO, (b) H3N¬(CH2)11¬COO.

Answer 1

Answer: H3N¬CH2¬COO will partition around the ionic head of the micelles

H3N¬(CH2)11¬COO will partition around the hydrophobic tail

Explanation:

The zwitterionic amino acid containing only one carbon atom between the ions will be better able to interact with the ionic head which is hydrophillic. The long chain amino acid will be able to efficiently interact with the hydrocarbon tail of the micelles which is hydrophobic in nature. This is because of the intervening long chain occurring between the positive and negative terminals of the molecule.