ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Micelle

Micelles are like tiny bubbles that are made up of special molecules called surfactants. These surfactant molecules have two different ends: one end is attracted to water (hydrophilic) and the other end is repelled by water (hydrophobic).

When you mix surfactants with water, they try to organize themselves in a way that will allow both ends to be happy. This means that the hydrophobic ends will try to stick together and the hydrophilic ends will stick out into the water.

If there are enough surfactant molecules around, they can form micelles. These are small, spherical collections of surfactant molecules that are arranged so that the hydrophobic ends are all in the middle, hiding from the water, and the hydrophilic ends are all pointing outward, interacting with the water.

Micelles can be found in all sorts of things, like soap, shampoo, and even in your body! In fact, your body uses micelles to help digest fats in your food. The molecules in the fats are hydrophobic, so they can't mix with the water in your stomach. But when you eat food that contains surfactants (like bile), it helps to form micelles around the fat molecules, allowing them to be broken down and absorbed by your body.

So, in short, micelles are small, bubble-like structures made of special molecules called surfactants that help to organize themselves in a way that allows both ends of the molecules to be happy. They can be found in soap, shampoo, and even in your body, where they are used to help digest fats.