Phospholipid Bilayer Cake Trivia Quiz

Answer: Phosphorous and nitrogen

The phosphate groups in the hydrophilic head make it a polar region. Since it is hydrophilic, it is water-soluble, and is attracted to the liquid. The fluid mosaic model represents how phospholipids form a double layer as, while the hydrophilic heads join with water and other liquids in the cell, the hydrophobic tails are attracted to each other, forming a bilayer.

Answer: Integral

Integral proteins, which are inside the cell membrane, are trans-membrane proteins that usually determine many of the functions within the membrane. Integral proteins are hydrophobic but have hydrophilic parts. They can be found in chains of hydrocarbons. Because of their status as trans-membrane proteins, integral proteins can perform functions both inside and outside the membrane.

Answer: Reduces the permeability of the membrane

Cholesterol is a sterol which belongs to the steroid family. It is a lipid (type of fat) that has hydrophobic parts, although it also contains hydrophilic components, and is embedded between phospholipids. The cell membrane can be described as a fluid as there are several molecules in movement, and cholesterol helps in reducing fluidity within the membrane. Cholesterol also helps protect the cell membrane by reducing its permeability, restricting the entrance of certain molecules.

Answer: No

Different from integral proteins, peripheral proteins are not embedded in the membrane, which means they can be removed without causing damage to it. Some peripheral proteins are even attached to integral proteins, and can unattach at any time.

Answer: Osmosis

There are two types of membrane transport: active transport and passive transport. Active transport, like the sodium-potassium pump, requires the use of energy since it goes against the concentration gradient, while passive transport, such as osmosis and diffusion, goes with the concentration gradient and therefore does not need energy.

Osmosis describes the process where molecules, usually water or other fluids, go from high-concentrated areas to low-concentrated areas. With osmosis, water can freely move in or out of the cell.

Answer: Amphipathic

Amphipathic compounds have hydrophilic properties, as well as lipophilic, which means they can dissolve in lipids, fats, and other non-polar solvents. Lipids, such as phospholipids, are part of the cell membrane. Amphipathic properties help in dissolving lipids, as they are usually not able to do so in water because they don't have polar groups.

Answer: Asymmetrical

Since proteins, lipids and other components are placed throughout the membrane, each layer is different from the others. Structurally, all membranes look reasonably alike, but they all have differences. Each layer is asymmetrical from each other.

Answer: Glycosidic

Carbohydrates are always outside the cell membrane, and play an important role in cell recognition and membrane protection. Also known as sugars, carbohydrates in the cell membrane form the glycocalyx, a structure that helps in keeping cells together.

The peptide bond joins proteins together.

Answer: Alpha

The Alpha helix structure is one of the secondary structures that proteins can take. The protein looks coiled and has carbonyl groups. There are other protein structures, such as the Beta sheets and the collagen helix, and they also form amino acids.

Answer: They both have carbohydrate chains attached to them

Glycolipids and glycoproteins are both attached to the cell membrane through covalent bonds. Also, both participate in cell recognition. While glycolipids are located in the outer part of the cell, provide stability and can be found in red blood cells, glycoproteins are integral proteins, which means they are inside the membrane but can be transmembrane.

They are very important in cell recognition as well as cell adhesion and reproduction.