When Biological Membranes Are Frozen and Then Fractured, They Tend

question 7

Multiple Choice

When biological membranes are frozen and then fractured, they tend to break along the middle of the bilayer. The best explanation for this is that

• A) the integral membrane proteins are not strong enough to hold the bilayer together.
• B) water that is present in the middle of the bilayer freezes and is easily fractured.
• C) the hydrophobic interactions between the fatty acid tails of the two phospholipid monolayers are the weakest interactions in the membrane.
• D) the carbon-carbon bonds of the phospholipid tails are easily broken.

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Definitions:

Horizontal

Describing a direction or plane that runs parallel to the ground or baseline in a coordinate system, often used to represent stability or equality.

Vertical

Relating to or denoting a direction or plane that is perpendicular to the horizon or to a base line, often used in various fields to describe orientation.

Outlier

An observation in data that is significantly distant from the rest of the observations, often indicating a measurement or entry error, or a novel or extreme value.

Positively Associated

A relationship between two variables where they move in the same direction, implying that as one variable increases, the other one also increases.