amphipathic
/ˌamfɪˈpaθɪk
/(also amphiphilic /ˌamfɪˈfɪlɪk/)
adjective Biochemistry
(Of a molecule, especially a protein) having both hydrophilic and hydrophobic parts.Many peptides and proteins interact strongly with amphiphilic molecules and these interactions are of vast importance, not only in vivo but also in technical applications....
- This should be taken as an indication that the contributions of the hydrophilic and hydrophobic portions of the amphiphilic molecules to the free energy of interaction with the solvent phases are not independent.
- In our present paper, we added a spherical nanoparticle interacting attractively with the hydrophilic segments of amphiphilic molecules.
Origin
1930s: from amphi- + Greek pathikos (from pathos 'experience').