Question

A variation of the fatty acid composition of the cell membrane in response to an increase in environmental temperature is driven by the cell’s need to

A) Prevent nucleoid structure disassembly

B) Avoid denaturation of cytoplasmic proteins

C) Facilitate gene expression

D) Maintain membrane fluidity

E) A, B, C

Answer 1

Fatty acids are essential for cell growth and survival, providing energy and forming important components of cell membranes. As increasing and decreasing temperature is the most important environment factor affecting the fatty acids composition.In fact, in nature a decrease in temperature may cause liquids to solidify and an increase in temperature may cause solids to liquefy and also they have relation in changes in membrane fluidity.

Thus increase in environmental temperature may affect the surface membrane of the phospholipids and they undergo oxidation which cause degradation of fatty acids.Those changes in fatty acid composition suggest a increased membrane fluidity of the cell in the new thermal environment.

Fatty acid variation do not facilitate gene expression, denaturation of cytoplasmic proteins, and nucleoid disassembly because they are associated with mRNA and other genetic elements. Hence they are not driven the cell need when fatty acid composition varies at increase temperature.

Hence the correct option is D) maintain membrane fluidity.