Final answer:
Fluted filter paper increases surface area for faster filtration, while porosity allows liquids to pass and retains solids. The Chamberland-Pasteur filter aided virus discovery by trapping bacteria but allowing smaller viruses through. A fluid cell membrane is essential for flexible cellular processes and interactions.
Step-by-step explanation:
The use of fluted and porous filter paper in filtration is important for efficiency and functionality. The fluting increases the surface area, allowing for more rapid filtration by providing more space for the liquid to pass through. Porosity is crucial because it determines the size of particles that can be trapped; finer pores will trap smaller particles, while larger pores allow for faster filtration of larger particles. The filter paper must be porous enough to allow the liquid to pass through while retaining the solid particles.
In the context of virus discovery, the Chamberland-Pasteur filter was also a porous medium, which allowed scientists to filter out bacteria and larger organisms, while the smaller viruses passed through. This helped in the discovery of viruses, as the filter trapped bacteria but not viruses, indicating that viruses were a different kind of infectious agent, smaller than bacteria.
The cell membrane's fluid nature is advantageous because it allows the membrane to be flexible, facilitating a variety of cellular processes like cell movement, growth, and the formation of intercellular connections. This fluidity is necessary for the proper functioning of cells and their ability to interact with their environment.