Question

Which of the following statements about the carbohydrate coating of the cell surface is false?

A) It is not usually found on the cytosolic side of the membrane.
B) It can play a role in cell-cell adhesion.
C) The arrangement of the oligosaccharide side chains is highly ordered, much like the peptide
bonds of a polypeptide chain.
D) Specific oligosaccharides can be involved in cell-cell recognition.
E) Most cells in the human body have a carbohydrate coating.

Answer 1

The false statement is that the carbohydrate side chains are highly ordered like peptide bonds, while in reality, they form unique but less ordered patterns for cell recognition.

Step-by-step explanation:

The statement about the carbohydrate coating of the cell surface that is false is: C) The arrangement of the oligosaccharide side chains is highly ordered, much like the peptide bonds of a polypeptide chain. Carbohydrates attached to proteins (glycoproteins) or lipids (glycolipids) form a glycocalyx, which is always found on the exterior surface of cells.

These carbohydrate chains can be straight or branched and are essential for cell-cell recognition and adhesion, as well as for the immune system to differentiate between self and non-self entities. The arrangement of these chains is not as highly ordered as the peptide bonds in proteins but rather, they form unique patterns for cell recognition, akin to 'facial features' in humans.