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Which of the following would be the most thermodynamically unfavorable membrane lipid activity in a membrane?

-transverse diffusion
-association with a neighboring lipid
-lateral diffusion
-association with cholesterol
-rotation

User Mehreen
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Final answer:

The most thermodynamically unfavorable activity for a membrane lipid is transverse diffusion due to its energy-intensive nature and rarity, contrasting with other movements like lateral diffusion.

Step-by-step explanation:

In biological membranes, the activity that would be the most thermodynamically unfavorable is transverse diffusion, also known as flip-flop. This process involves a lipid molecule moving from one leaflet of the bilayer to the opposite leaflet. Unlike lateral diffusion, rotation, or association with cholesterol or neighboring lipids, transverse diffusion requires a significant amount of energy and occurs infrequently because it disrupts the orderly structure of the membrane, and in many cases, specialized enzymes are needed to facilitate this movement.

User Jvoll
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