Which biomolecule is primarily responsible for the structure of cell membranes?
Practice Questions
Q1
Which biomolecule is primarily responsible for the structure of cell membranes?
Proteins
Carbohydrates
Nucleic acids
Lipids
Questions & Step-by-Step Solutions
Which biomolecule is primarily responsible for the structure of cell membranes?
Step 1: Understand what a cell membrane is. It is a barrier that surrounds the cell and controls what enters and exits.
Step 2: Learn about biomolecules. These are large molecules that are essential for life, including proteins, carbohydrates, nucleic acids, and lipids.
Step 3: Focus on lipids. Lipids are a type of biomolecule that includes fats and oils.
Step 4: Identify the specific type of lipid that makes up cell membranes. This is called phospholipids.
Step 5: Understand that phospholipids have a unique structure with a hydrophilic (water-attracting) head and two hydrophobic (water-repelling) tails.
Step 6: Realize that phospholipids arrange themselves in a double layer (bilayer) to form the cell membrane, with the heads facing outward and the tails facing inward.
