Which of the following statements is NOT correct about the phospholipid molecules in the plasma membrane? A. The polar heads face outward. B. The nonpolar tails face inward. C. The polar heads are hydrophobic. D. The nonpolar tails are hydrophobic. E. The phospholipids form a bilayer.

The following statements is NOT correct about the phospholipid molecules in the plasma membrane - C. The polar heads are hydrophobic.

Phospholipids are lipids that are a major component of all cell membranes. They can form lipid bilayers because of their amphiphilic characteristic.

The structure of the phospholipid molecule generally consists of two hydrophobic fatty acid "tails" and a hydrophilic "head" consisting of a phosphate group.The polar heads face outwards and the non-polar tails face inwards.The polar heads are hydrophilic and the nonpolar tails are hydrophobic.

Thus, The following statements is NOT correct about the phospholipid molecules in the plasma membrane - C. The polar heads are hydrophobic.

Learn more:

link

The correct answer is: C. The polar heads are hydrophobic.

Explanation:

A Plasma membrane is composed of a  phospho-lipid bilayer.Each phospho-lipid molecule is composed of:A glycerol moiety that is linked by three ester bonds to,One phosphate group, andTwo fatty acid molecules (saturated or absence of double bonds between carbon atoms and unsaturated or presence of double bonds between carbon atoms), which possess long hydrocarbon chains.The fatty acid molecules are hydrophobic in nature, so in order to avoid contact with water molecules they face towards the inner side of the lipid bilayer. They lack any charge  and so they are also called Non-polar molecules.The phosphate groups are hydrophilic in nature, so in order to establish hydrogen bonds with water molecules they face towards the outer surface of the lipid bilayer. As they possess an overall negative charge they are also called Polar molecules.Hence, among the given options, the option C is incorrect as here the polar heads are said to be hydrophobic.

The answer is option a.