Plasma Membrane
Which component primarily contributes to membrane fluidity at physiological temperatures?
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About This Question
- Subject
- biology
- Chapter
- cell structure and function
- Topic
- plasma membrane
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Year
- 2025
Solution
Correct Answer:
Cholesterol
- Fluid Mosaic Model: The plasma membrane is a dynamic, fluid structure primarily composed of a phospholipid bilayer.
- Role of Cholesterol: Cholesterol molecules are interspersed among the phospholipids. They act as fluidity buffers.
- At High Temperatures: Cholesterol stabilizes the membrane and reduces its fluidity by restricting the horizontal movement of phospholipids.
- At Low Temperatures: It prevents the phospholipids from packing too tightly and crystallizing, thus maintaining fluidity.
- Note: Cellulose, ribose, and peptidoglycan are not components of the eukaryotic plasma membrane lipid bilayer.
This easy difficulty biology question is from the chapter cell structure and function, covering the topic of plasma membrane. It appeared in the 2025 exam.
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