Question

4. Provide two (2) specific facts about membrane structure that results in a causal link between membrane composition and membrane fluidity? FACT 1: FACT 2:

Answer 1

ANS4:FACT 1:Membrane structure mainly composed of lipid bilayer, cholesterol protein and fatty acids.

In low temperature ,the phospholipids arranged very tightly together and have low energy to move and form rigid at that time cholesterol act as a buffer and occupy the space between phospholipids and provides the energy to the phospholipids to move in this way it maintains the fluidity of the cell membrane as well as unsaturated fatty acids increase the space between phospholipids make the molecules hard at low temperature but cholesterol maintains the fluidity at low temperature.

FACT2: IN high temperature ,phospholipids apart each other and have high energy and space to move freely. So that fluidity increases but the presence of cholesterols make them stable and come close the phospholipids each other in this way cholesterol maintains the fluidity in the cell membrane . In this way cholesterol maintains the flexibility of the cell membrane. Unsaturated fatty acids maintain the space between the phospholipids due to its double bond.