Question

A bacterium is suddenly expelled from a warm human intestine into the cold world outside. WHich of the following adjustments might the bacterium make to maintain the same level of membrane fluidity:

a)decrease the amount of cholesterol
b)decrease the amount of glycolipids
c)produce lipids with hydrocarbon tails that are longer and have fewer double bonds
d)produce lipids with hydrocarbon tails that are shorter and have more double bonds

Answer 1

To maintain the same level of membrane fluidity in a colder environment, a bacterium would produce lipids with hydrocarbon tails that are shorter and have more double bonds.

Step-by-step explanation:

When a bacterium is expelled from the warm human intestine into a colder environment, the bacterium might make adjustments to maintain membrane fluidity and continue its vital functions. To keep the same level of membrane fluidity, the bacterium would need to produce lipids with hydrocarbon tails that are shorter and have more double bonds. This change increases the proportion of unsaturated fatty acids in the cell membrane, which have kinks in their tails due to double bonds that prevent the fatty acids from packing tightly together, thus maintaining fluidity even in the cold.