Explain the underlying reason that cell membranes have a bilayer structure. Solution Cells are lined by a membrane that is plasma membrane is protecting interior of a cell and selective permeability and monitor which material enter and exit in a cell. The ability of plasma membrane to determine which material can move in and out of a cell is due to the molecule found in cell and the presence of lipid bilayer. Phospholipids are the primary lipid molecule found in lipid bilayer. Phospholipid is unique molecule because it have hydrophilic region (water loving region) the head and hydrophobic region (water phobic) the tail. Hydrophilic region can interact with water molecule because it have phosphate group which is a polar group and can interact with a polar molecule like water and glucose whereas the hydrophobic region did not interact with water. The interior of a cell is primarily made up water and the exterior is surrounded by watery fluid this means the plasma membrane could not possibly consist just one layer of phospholipids this is because in this condition the one side the hydrophobic tail would have to interact with the watery region. So cell have evolved to have two layer of phospholipid the bilayer creates a sandwich arrangement where the hydrophilic heads face the watery environment and the tails are inside the layer. Bilayers are particularly impermeable to ions, which allows cells to regulate salt concentrations and pH by transporting ions across their membranes using proteins called ion pumps..