★ Must-know
Further detail
1. Which arrangement is described by the fluid mosaic model of a cell membrane?
2. What feature makes a phospholipid amphipathic?
3. Two membranes are examined at the same temperature: one is rich in unsaturated fatty acids and the other in saturated fatty acids. Which comparison is expected?
What does the fluid mosaic model describe?
A fluid phospholipid bilayer with proteins embedded in it or attached to its surface.
Which lipid is most abundant in the plasma membrane?
Phospholipids.
How often do adjacent phospholipids switch places within a bilayer?
About times per second.
Why do membrane proteins move more slowly than lipids?
They are larger.
Where do integral proteins penetrate the membrane, and where do peripheral proteins bind?
Integral proteins penetrate the hydrophobic core; peripheral proteins bind to the surface or other membrane proteins.
What property lets a plasma membrane regulate molecular traffic selectively?
Selective permeability.
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