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Hydrophilic vs Amphipathic - What's the difference?

hydrophilic | amphipathic |

As adjectives the difference between hydrophilic and amphipathic

is that hydrophilic is (physics|chemistry) having an affinity for water; able to absorb, or be wetted by water while amphipathic is (chemistry) describing a molecule, such as a detergent, which has both hydrophobic and hydrophilic groups.

hydrophilic

English

Adjective

(-)
  • (physics, chemistry) Having an affinity for water; able to absorb, or be wetted by water.
  • Antonyms

    * (l)

    amphipathic

    Adjective

    (-)
  • (chemistry) describing a molecule, such as a detergent, which has both hydrophobic and hydrophilic groups.
  • (biochemistry) often refers to the surface(s) on a protein, particularly an alpha helix, where one surface of the alpha helix has hydrophilic amino acids and the opposite face has hydrophobic (or lipophilic) amino acids.
  • See also

    * amphiprotic * amphoteric * surfactant