Phospholipids are made of two fatty acid chains that are attached to a glycerol "head." The glycerol of a phospholipid is attached to a phosphate group, hence the name phospholipid. Fatty acid chains are chains of hydrocarbons.
Phospholipids display both hydrophobic and hydrophilic properties. In other words, phospholipids are amphipathic. The glycerol molecule and phosphate group are hydrophilic, which means they are attracted to water. The fatty acid chains are hydrophobic.
For this reason, when put in a solution, phospholipids tend to arrange themselves into two layers. The hydrophilic phosphate heads tend to arrange themselves outwards toward the solvent. The hydrophobic fatty acid tails tend to arrange themselves inwards as a means of getting away from the water. This is how the phospholipid bilayers of cell membranes are formed.
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