Understanding Cell Membranes

Why must a cell membrane be both sturdy and flexible?

• To enable the cell to move

• To allow selective permeability while maintaining structure

• To protect the cell from external temperatures

• To prevent the cell from collapsing

What was Agnes Pockels' contribution to the study of membranes?

• She was the first to use electron microscopy on cells

• She discovered the bilayer structure of membranes

• She observed the behavior of soapy films on water

• She invented a new type of detergent

What did Irving Langmuir and Katharine Blodgett discover about oil molecules?

• They form a bilayer on water

• They are composed of proteins

• They dissolve completely in water

• They have a water-loving and a water-loathing side

What was the main finding of Gorter and Grendel's experiment?

• Cell membranes are a bilayer of lipids

• Cell membranes are impermeable to water

• Cell membranes are a single layer of lipids

• Cell membranes are composed of proteins

How did Gorter and Grendel's experiment demonstrate the bilayer nature of cell membranes?

• By observing the behavior of cells in different solutions

• By measuring the thickness of cell walls

• By comparing the surface area of a monolayer to intact cells

• By using electron microscopy