Which of the following describes why phospholipids are better suited to forming the cell membrane than regular fats or steroids?

Answer Their glycerol head allows them to bond easily with most other molecules.
Their phosphate group gives them a hydrophilic end.
Their three-pronged structure allows them to store large amounts of energy.
Their unique ringed structure provides them with the ability to regulate cell metabolism.

Question

Which of the following describes why phospholipids are better suited to forming the cell membrane than regular fats or steroids?



Answer    Their glycerol head allows them to bond easily with most other molecules. 
   Their phosphate group gives them a hydrophilic end. 
   Their three-pronged structure allows them to store large amounts of energy. 
   Their unique ringed structure provides them with the ability to regulate cell metabolism.

blues · Answer

OK, the phospholipids in the cell membrane associate with each other non-covalently rather than covalently, so that suggests it is probably not the first option.

It is true that their phosphate group does give them a hydrophillic end - a side of of the molecule which is stablest when exposed to water. This helps them form the bilayer, so option number two looks likely.

Energy storage is not important to phospholipids - their role in the cell membrane is structural rather than metabolic.

And they do not have a ring structure.

So which do you think it is?

anonymous · Answer

2 does look likly

blues · Answer

Right, it is option number two.

Do you understand how to go about solving these multiple choice problems?