Direction: In the following questions, a statement of assertion (A) i...
A cell membrane shows fluid behaviour. It was proved by fluid- mosaic model of a biomembrane by Singer and Nicolson in 1972. According to this model, the membrane does not have a uniform disposition of lipids and proteins but is a mosaic of the two. Further, the membrane is not solid but is quasi fluid.
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Direction: In the following questions, a statement of assertion (A) i...
Assertion: A cell membrane shows fluid behaviour.
Reason: A membrane is a mosaic of lipids and proteins.
The correct answer is option A - Both assertion (A) and reason (R) are true and reason (R) is the correct explanation of assertion (A).
Explanation:
The cell membrane is a selectively permeable barrier that separates the internal environment of the cell from the external environment. It plays a crucial role in maintaining the integrity and functionality of the cell. The fluidity of the cell membrane is essential for its proper functioning, and this fluid behavior can be explained by the lipid-protein mosaic model.
Fluid Behavior of the Cell Membrane:
The cell membrane is composed of a bilayer of phospholipids, which are amphipathic molecules with a hydrophilic head and a hydrophobic tail. These phospholipids arrange themselves in a bilayer with their hydrophilic heads facing the aqueous environments (both inside and outside the cell) and their hydrophobic tails facing each other in the interior of the bilayer. This arrangement creates a fluid and dynamic structure.
Lipid-Protein Mosaic Model:
The lipid-protein mosaic model, also known as the fluid mosaic model, describes the structure of the cell membrane. According to this model, the cell membrane is composed of a mosaic of lipids and proteins. The lipids, mainly phospholipids, form the basic framework of the membrane, while the proteins are embedded within or attached to the lipid bilayer.
Explanation of the Reason:
The reason provided in the statement is correct. The fluid behavior of the cell membrane can be attributed to its composition of lipids and proteins. The lipids provide the fluid nature of the membrane due to their amphipathic nature, while the proteins contribute to the mosaic structure by being embedded or attached to the lipid bilayer.
Conclusion:
The fluid behavior of the cell membrane is essential for various cellular processes such as membrane transport, cell signaling, and cell recognition. The lipid-protein mosaic model explains the fluid behavior of the cell membrane, with lipids forming the basic framework and proteins contributing to the mosaic structure. Therefore, both the assertion and reason are true, and the reason correctly explains the assertion.
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