The red line on the following graph shows the fluidity of the fatty acids of a p

Question

The red line on the following graph shows the fluidity of the fatty acids of a phospholipid bilayer as a function of temperature. The blue line shows the fluidity in the presence of cholesterol.

(a) What is the effect of cholesterol?

ANS: The graph shows that, as temperature increases, the phospholipid bilayer becomes more fluid. Tm is the temperature of the transition from the predominantly less fluid state to the predominantly more fluid state. Cholesterol broadens the transition from the less-fluid to the more-fluid state. In essence, cholesterol makes membrane fluidity less sensitive to temperature changes.

Cholesterol broadens the transition from the less-fluid to the more-fluid state: PLEASE EXPLAIN TO ME THOROUGHLY AND QUANTITATIVELY HOW CAN YOU SAY THAT CHOLESTEROL BROADENS THE TRANSISITON FROM LESS FLUID TO THE MORE FLUID STATE. It seems hard to understand that statement. thanks

Explanation / Answer

The graph shows that, as temperature increases, the phospholipid bilayer becomes more fluid. Tm is the temperature of the transition from the predominantly less fluid state to the predominantly more fluid state. Cholesterol broadens the transition from the less-fluid to the more-fluid state. In essence, cholesterol makes membrane fluidity less sensitive to temperature changes.

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