Question

which of these molecules is hydrophobic?
multiple choice
cholesterol
disaccharide
amino acid
glucose
protein

Explanation:

• Cholesterol is a lipid. Lipids are non - polar molecules. Water is a polar molecule. Non - polar molecules (hydrophobic) do not dissolve well in polar solvents (like water).
• Disaccharides (e.g., sucrose) have hydroxyl (-OH) groups which can form hydrogen bonds with water, making them hydrophilic.
• Amino acids have amino (-NH₂) and carboxyl (-COOH) groups which are polar and can interact with water.
• Glucose has multiple hydroxyl (-OH) groups, which are polar and make it hydrophilic.
• Proteins have amino acids as building blocks. Many parts of proteins (e.g., the side chains of some amino acids, the peptide bonds) can interact with water, and overall proteins can be soluble in water (although some proteins have hydrophobic regions, but as a whole, compared to cholesterol, they are more hydrophilic in general).

Answer:

Cholesterol