Phospholipid
A type of lipid molecule with a hydrophilic (water-loving) head and hydrophobic (water-fearing) tails. The primary component of cell membranes.
Used in the Books
This term appears in 2 chapters:
"...y arrange themselves into two shimmering layers, heads out, tails in, creating a fluid barrier that's somehow both fortress and gateway. This is the phospholipid bilayer. Remove it and you don't have a more collaborative cell - you have chemistry in soup. Think of the cell membrane as a nightclub bouncer with..."
"...hosphorus is released over millennia. Biological uptake: Plants absorb dissolved phosphate, incorporating phosphorus into ATP (energy currency), phospholipids (cell membranes), nucleic acids (DNA, RNA), and other biomolecules. Animals consume plants, assimilating phosphorus into their tissues. **Decomposit..."
Biological Context
Phospholipids spontaneously form bilayers in water—heads facing outward toward water, tails facing inward away from water. This self-organizing property is the basis of all cell membranes. The bilayer is selectively permeable, controlling what enters and exits the cell.
Business Application
Organizational boundaries have phospholipid-like properties—they selectively control what crosses them. Some things pass easily (information, standard requests), others are blocked or require special transport (major decisions, external partnerships).