Question

Which of the following modifications would result in increased membrane fluidity?

A) Decreasing the proportion of saturated fatty acids in the lipid bilayer.
B) Increasing the proportion of cholesterol in the lipid bilayer.
C) Shortening the length of the hydrophobic tails of phospholipids.
D) Adding more integral membrane proteins to the lipid bilayer.

Answer 1

Increasing the proportion of unsaturated fatty acids in the lipid bilayer would result in increased membrane fluidity, while increasing the proportion of cholesterol would reduce membrane fluidity.

Step-by-step explanation:

Increasing the proportion of unsaturated fatty acids in the lipid bilayer would result in increased membrane fluidity. Unsaturated fatty acids have kinks in their tails, which push apart the phospholipid tails and create more space between them. This allows membrane components to move more freely, increasing fluidity.

On the other hand, increasing the proportion of cholesterol in the lipid bilayer would reduce membrane fluidity. Cholesterol molecules fill in the gaps between fatty acids, reducing the lateral mobility of phospholipid and protein components in the membrane.