A group of researchers discovers a new species of archaea living in a deep-sea hydrothermal vent where temperatures exceed 100 degrees Celsius. Which of the following membrane adaptations would most likely be observed in these organisms to prevent their membranes from becoming too fluid?

A higher frequency of saturated fatty acids and longer hydrocarbon chains.

An increase in the number of double bonds in the fatty acid tails to increase packing density.

A total lack of integral proteins to prevent the leakage of ions at high thermal energy.

A higher frequency of polyunsaturated fatty acids to increase intermolecular attraction.

A decrease in the protein-to-lipid ratio to stabilize the hydrophobic core.

In a laboratory experiment, a synthetic lipid bilayer is composed entirely of saturated phospholipids with 18 -carbon tails. If the experimenter replaces half of these lipids with saturated phospholipids containing 14 -carbon tails, what is the most likely effect on the membrane's properties?

The membrane fluidity will increase because shorter hydrocarbon chains have fewer van der Waals interactions.

The membrane fluidity will decrease because shorter tails allow the phospholipids to pack more densely into a solid.

The membrane's transition temperature (melting point) will increase due to the reduction in molecular weight.

The membrane will become less permeable to water because there is less hydrophobic surface area.

The membrane fluidity will remain unchanged because the degree of saturation has not been altered.

Predict effect of membrane fluidity changes

Predict effect of membrane fluidity changes | Quizalize

10 questions

If a plant species is moved from a tropical environment with high temperatures to a much cooler temperate environment, which of the following membrane modifications would most likely occur to maintain homeostasis?

30 sec

Winter wheat is able to survive extremely low temperatures by altering its membrane composition during the autumn. Which of the following changes would be most effective in preventing the plasma membrane from becoming too rigid and fracturing in freezing weather?

30 sec

An animal cell is treated with a chemical that inhibits the synthesis of cholesterol. If this cell is then exposed to a significant increase in environmental temperature, how will the plasma membrane most likely be affected compared to a normal cell?

30 sec

The bacterium Pseudomonas syringae responds to a decrease in temperature by inducing the expression of fatty acid desaturase enzymes. What is the most likely predicted effect of this cellular response on the cell membrane?

30 sec

Which of the following describes the most likely consequence for a cell if its plasma membrane becomes significantly too fluid due to an extreme increase in temperature?

30 sec

An experimental cell line is genetically modified to lack the ability to produce any unsaturated fatty acids, resulting in a plasma membrane composed entirely of saturated phospholipids. Which of the following is the most likely prediction for how these cells will respond to a moderate drop in temperature compared to wild-type cells?

30 sec

An environmental toxin is introduced to a population of fish that inhibits the function of enzymes responsible for cholesterol synthesis. If these fish are then subjected to a sudden drop in water temperature, which of the following is the most likely prediction for the state of their cell membranes?

30 sec

Desaturase enzymes are activated in certain fish species during the transition from summer to winter. If these enzymes were inhibited by a chemical pollutant, what is the most likely physiological consequence for the fish as water temperatures drop?

30 sec

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