Water's ability to dissolve a wide variety of molecules is important, but more important is the hydrophobic effect, which drives the aggregation of nonpolar molecules and plays a role in the folding of proteins and formation of lipid bilayers. What forces drive the hydrophobic effect? a. Decreased entropy of water is the largest driving force. b. Water repels the hydrophobic molecules. c. Increased entropy of water is the largest driving force. d. Hydrophobic molecules are attracted to each other.

Question

Chemistry

Maximilian Woodward

28 November, 10:31

Water's ability to dissolve a wide variety of molecules is important, but more important is the hydrophobic effect, which drives the aggregation of nonpolar molecules and plays a role in the folding of proteins and formation of lipid bilayers. What forces drive the hydrophobic effect? a. Decreased entropy of water is the largest driving force. b. Water repels the hydrophobic molecules. c. Increased entropy of water is the largest driving force. d. Hydrophobic molecules are attracted to each other.

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Answers (1)

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Krista Sloan · Answer 1

d. Hydrophobic molecules are attracted to each other.

Explanation:

The term "hydrophobic effect" is associated with the spontaneous tendency of macromolecules, such as proteins, to prefer a conformation in an aqueous medium, with hydrophobic groups facing the interior of the mac romolecule, favoring attractive intramolecular interactions, and hydrophilic groups exposed on the surface, for maximize interactions with water molecules in the medium. This is because the hydrophobic molecules are attracted to each other, allowing them to turn inward.