is responsible for the separation of a mixture of oil and water into its two components. The hydrophobic effect is also responsible for the stability and fusion of cell membranes and vesicles, is an important factor driving protein folding as well as the insertion of membrane proteins into the nonpolar lipid environment and finally contributes to the stability of protein-small molecule associations. Hence the hydrophobic effect is essential to life.[3][4][5][6] Substances for which this effect is observed are known as hydrophobes.