Question

Which of the following correctly describes how high levels of fatty acid structures contribute to the rigidity of the cell membrane?O The cell membrane becomes more rigid as the amount of unsaturated fatty acids with a kinked structure increases.

O The cell membrane becomes more rigid as the amount of saturated fatty acids with a straight structure increases.
O The cell membrane becomes less rigid as the amount of unsaturated fatty acids with a straight structure increases.
O The cell membrane becomes less rigid as the amount of saturated fatty acids with a straight structure increases.

Answer 1

The cell membrane becomes more rigid as the amount of saturated fatty acids with a straight structure increases.

Saturated fatty acids have a straight hydrocarbon tail, which allows them to pack closely together in the cell membrane, making it more rigid. The more saturated fatty acids a cell membrane has, the more closely packed the fatty acid tails are, and the more rigid the membrane will be.