Question

Aquaporin-1 exists in the cell membrane as a tetramer. Each monomer is a water channel that can hold 4 molecules of water at a time.How many water molecules would be present in a complete aquaporin complex in the membrane of a red blood cell at one time

a. 4

b. 8

c. 12

d. 16

Answer 1

16

Step-by-step explanation:

Channel proteins make a passage to facilitate the transport of molecules across the membrane and are exhibit saturation. Aquaporin-1 is an integral protein present in the cell membrane and serves as a water channel. The presence of aquaporin-1 in the plasma membrane of a cell increases the rate of movement of water across the membrane.

According to the given information, aquaporin-1 of red blood cells are tetramers. One monomer can transport four water molecules at a time. This means that the complete aquaporin-1 molecule with four monomers would be able to transport 4 x 4 = 16 molecules of water at a time.