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Hydrophobic Effect definitions

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  • Hydrophobic Effect
    Phenomenon where water excludes nonpolar substances, leading to separate phases and driving key biological processes.
  • Hydrophobic Molecule
    Nonpolar substance that resists dissolving in water, often forming distinct phases when mixed with aqueous solutions.
  • Protein Folding
    Process where polypeptides adopt organized structures, aided by the clustering of nonpolar groups to increase universal entropy.
  • Membrane Formation
    Assembly of phospholipids into bilayers, driven by the release of water molecules from hydration shells around nonpolar tails.
  • Hydration Shell
    Layer of water molecules surrounding nonpolar substances, restricting hydrogen bonding and decreasing entropy.
  • Entropy
    Measure of disorder; decreases locally when nonpolar substances clump, but increases universally as water molecules are released.
  • Phospholipid Bilayer
    Structure formed by phospholipids clumping together, minimizing hydration shells and enabling cellular compartmentalization.
  • Nonpolar Substance
    Molecule lacking significant charge separation, often excluded by water and central to the hydrophobic effect.
  • Van Der Waals Forces
    Weak interactions present between all molecules, but insufficient to explain the apparent attraction among hydrophobic substances.
  • Hydrogen Bonding
    Interaction between water molecules, disrupted in hydration shells around nonpolar substances, leading to stronger but fewer bonds.
  • Surface Area
    Extent of exposure of nonpolar molecules to water; reduced during clumping, decreasing hydration shell size.
  • R Group
    Side chain of an amino acid; nonpolar variants cluster during protein folding, releasing water and increasing entropy.
  • Thermodynamic Favorability
    Condition where a process increases universal entropy, such as the clumping of nonpolar substances in water.
  • Phase Separation
    Formation of distinct regions, such as oil and water, due to the exclusion of hydrophobic substances by water.
  • Universal Entropy
    Overall disorder in the surroundings; increases when water molecules escape hydration shells during hydrophobic interactions.