Which organic molecule has long hydrocarbon chains and is a major element of cell membranes?

Question

BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

The question asks: Which organic molecule has long hydrocarbon chains and is a major element of cell membranes?
Option 1: Phospholipids. This choice aligns with the description because phospholipids have two long hydrocarbon (fatty acid) chains and a phosphate-containing head group, forming the fundamental structural component of cellular membranes with a hydrophobic tail region and a hydrophilic head.
Option 2: Polypeptides. These are chains of amino acids and are primarily involved in forming proteins. They do not typically feature long hydrocarbon tails as a defining structural element of cell membranes; their role is more about catalysis, signaling, and structural support within and outside membranes.
Option 3: Carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are sugars and their polymers (like starch, glycogen, cellulose) are generally hydrophilic and hydrogen-bonded networks. They do not possess long hydrocarbon chains and are not the main membrane-structuring components, though some membrane lipids and glycoproteins can have carbohydrate groups attached.
Option 4: Nucleotides. Nucleotides are the monomers of nucleic acids (DNA, RNA) and serve as energy carriers (ATP) or signaling molecules. They do not feature long hydrophobic hydrocarbon tails and are not major constituents of the lipid bilayer in membranes.
In summary, the key feature described—long hydrocarbon chains forming the membrane's hydrophobic core—is characteristic of lipids, specifically phospholipids, which arrange into bilayers that make up cell membranes. The other options represent other biomolecule classes (proteins, carbohydrates, nucleic acids) whose primary roles and structures do not include those distinctive long hydrocarbon chains central to membrane architecture.

Which organic molecule has long hydrocarbon chains and is a major element of cell membranes? 单项选择题

类似问题

Which type of lipid is most important in the structure of biological membranes?

脂质是天然存在的分子，其定义特征是易溶于非极性溶剂而难溶于水性溶剂。以下分子属于哪种类型的脂质？

Question at position 30 What amphipathic molecule makes up most of the cell membrane?steroidtriacylgylcerolphospholipidnucleic acidglycogen

Question10 What type of molecule is primarily responsible for forming the basic structure of cell membranes? Fill in your answer here:[input] Maximum marks: 1 Flag question undefined

The most abundant lipid of the membrane consists of a head and two tails. This type of lipid is:

A phospholipid has

Which lipid is soluble in water?

Which of the following molecules has both hydrophilic and hydrophobic properties and would be found in plasma membranes?

更多留学生实用工具

智能学习助手

风格化写作助手

论文查重助手

文献引用助手

课堂转译助手

课堂笔记助手

Quiz搜索助手

学校历年真题

智能刷题助手

智能匹配练习

希望你的学习变得更简单