Practice question · Put in order
Arrange these membrane components from smallest to largest.
- An integral membrane protein complex
- A cholesterol-stabilised lipid raft
- A single phospholipid molecule
- A whole cell membrane
Hints
- Start with the individual molecule.
- A raft is a local patch, smaller than a protein complex but larger than one lipid.
Show the answer
- A single phospholipid molecule
- A cholesterol-stabilised lipid raft
- An integral membrane protein complex
- A whole cell membrane
Why
The membrane is organised at several scales, from individual lipids through local rafts and protein complexes to the whole sheet. Rafts matter because they concentrate particular proteins into functional patches rather than letting them diffuse freely.
Practise Cell Membranes
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