Question

41. Red blood cells have been very useful in the study of membranes and the protein components that provide structural support. 1) Which of the following proteins is the principal fibrous protein in the cortex of the red blood cell? 2) Which of the following proteins serve as the attachment site for P. falciparum (malaria parasite)

(a) fibroin
(b) tubulin (
c) actin
(d) spectrin
(e) keratin
(f) glycoporin

Answer 1

The principal fibrous protein in the cortex of the red blood cell is spectrin, and the protein that serves as the attachment site for the malaria parasite is glycophorin.

Step-by-step explanation:

Red Blood Cells and Membrane Proteins

1) The principal fibrous protein in the cortex of the red blood cell is spectrin. Spectrin forms a lattice that provides structural support to the red blood cell membrane.

2) The protein that serves as the attachment site for Plasmodium falciparum, the malaria parasite, is glycophorin. Glycophorin is a glycoprotein found in the membrane of red blood cells, which contains oligosaccharide chains that serve as points of attachment for the parasite.

It's important to note that proteins like hemoglobin, while crucial for oxygen transport within red blood cells, are not structural components of the cell membrane nor do they serve as attachment sites for the malaria parasite. Instead, fibrous proteins such as keratin provide structural integrity in other cell types, and cytoskeletal proteins like actin and myosin are involved in cell movement and contraction but do not fulfill the roles mentioned in the questions.