Apentix/AP Biology/Unit 2: Cell Structure and Function/Question
AP Biologyeasymcq1 pt

According to the fluid mosaic model of Singer and Nicolson, how is a biological membrane organized?

A.A rigid protein lattice encloses a fixed layer of lipids
B.A single layer of phospholipids coats a solid protein core
C.Protein molecules are embedded in and drift through a fluid phospholipid bilayer
D.Carbohydrate chains form the continuous structural scaffold of the membrane

Explanation

Core Concept

The model pictures the membrane as a two-dimensional fluid in which phospholipids move laterally while proteins sit embedded at various depths, like tiles in a shifting mosaic. Some proteins span the bilayer and others cling to its faces, and neither population is fixed in place. This lateral mobility explains how receptors and transporters can cluster, disperse, and relocate as conditions change.

Correct Answer

CProtein molecules are embedded in and drift through a fluid phospholipid bilayer

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