Which property of water helps to maintain the integrity of lipid-containing membranes?
Correct answer: D. Hydrophobic exclusion
- A. Specific Heat Capacity
- B. Hydrogen Bonding
- C. Cohesion and Adhesion
- D. Hydrophobic exclusion
Explanation
If you place a few drops of oil on the surface of a water solution, the oil drops will tend to coalesce (to unite into one whole) into a single drop. Biologically, hydrophobic exclusion plays a key role in maintaining the integrity of lipid bilayer membranes due to the hydrophobic tails of the phospholipid molecules. Tails of two layers of phospholipids interact to form a hydrophobic internal center of cell membranes while the phospholipid heads interact with the hydrophilic water medium externally. This is shown below.
This question appeared on the PMC National MDCAT 2020 paper, which you can sit online with every answer explained.
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About Biological Importance of Water
Water supports life through its polarity, hydrogen bonding and ability to dissolve ionic and polar substances. Its high specific heat, heat of vaporization, cohesion, adhesion and incompressibility help regulate temperature, transport materials and maintain structure, while hydrolysis and osmosis depend directly on water.
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