amphipathic.
Describing a molecule, such as a detergent, which has both hydrophobic and hydrophilic groups.
Meaning & usage
Describing a molecule, such as a detergent, which has both hydrophobic and hydrophilic groups.
Of the surface(s) on a protein, particularly an alpha helix, where one surface of the alpha helix has hydrophilic amino acids and the opposite face has hydrophobic (or lipophilic) amino acids.
Where this word comes from
From amphi- + Ancient Greek παθικός (pathikós, “remaining passive in a sexual intercourse”), from Ancient Greek ἀμφί (amphí, “on both sides”).
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Definitions, grammatical labels, IPA, etymology and examples: Wiktionary contributors, extracted by Kaikki / Wiktextract. Adapted under CC BY-SA 4.0. Selected fields and authored examples are shown; third-party quotations and audio are omitted. See contributor history.
Last enriched 2026-09-10. Definitions are in English. Romanizations are shown when supplied by the source; syllable estimates are omitted for unsupported scripts.