Question

Considering the diversity of membranes and their components in bacterial and archaeal cells, which of the following statements are correct about membranes in BOTH domains
Check All That Apply

Cell membranes require a hydrophobic interior and two hydrophilic surfaces to be an effective barrier between the cell cytoplasm and its external environment.

The cell membrane must be a lipid bilayer to be an effective barrier between the cell cytoplasm and its external environment.

The fluid mosaic model of membrane structure applies only to bacterial membranes.

Membrane lipids are covalently bonded to glycerol.

Branched hydrocarbons in the lipid side chains are critical for dense packing in a membrane.

Membrane thickness is equivalent to a 40-carbon hydrocarbon chain either in the form of two C20 bilayers, or a single C40 monolayer.

Answer 1

Membrane thickness is equivalent to a 40-carbon hydrocarbon chain either in the form of two C20 bilayers, or a single C40 monolayer is the correct about membranes in both domains.

Cell membranes require a hydrophobic interior and two hydrophilic surfaces to be an effective barrier between the cell cytoplasm and its external environment is correct about membranes in both the domains.

 Explanation:

The difference between the bacteria and archaea cell membrane is that bacteria have lipid bilayer in their cell membrane while archaea have lipid monolayer in their cell membrane. So bacteria have two C20 bilayers and archaea has single C40 monolayer of isoprenoid chains linked to lipids in the cell membrane.

The bacterial and archaeal cells' plasma membrane has the primary function of  keeping cell safe from surroundings. The cell membrane is selectively permeable and has protein channels and membrane attached proteins which allow only selective exchange in the cell. The hydrophillic and hydrophobic tails play a great role in maintaining the water-proof nature of cell membrane.