Which biomolecule serves as the main component of cell membranes?
Practice Questions
Q1
Which biomolecule serves as the main component of cell membranes?
Proteins
Carbohydrates
Nucleic acids
Phospholipids
Questions & Step-by-Step Solutions
Which biomolecule serves as the main component of cell membranes?
Step 1: Understand what a cell membrane is. It is a barrier that surrounds and protects the cell.
Step 2: Learn about biomolecules. These are large molecules that are essential for life, such as proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, and nucleic acids.
Step 3: Focus on lipids, which are a type of biomolecule. They include fats and oils.
Step 4: Discover that phospholipids are a specific type of lipid. They have a unique structure with a hydrophilic (water-attracting) head and two hydrophobic (water-repelling) tails.
Step 5: Understand that phospholipids arrange themselves in two layers (bilayer) when they form cell membranes. The heads face outward towards the water, and the tails face inward, away from the water.
Step 6: Conclude that phospholipids are the main component of cell membranes because they create this bilayer structure that is essential for the cell's function.
