The correct answer is Myristoleic CH3(CH2)3CH=CH(CH2)7COOH
Factors affecting membrane fluidity are:
- The mosaic structure: The essential lipids and proteins are independent but loosely bound molecules that are present in the membrane.
- The phospholipids:
- The phospholipid tails' fatty acids are in their saturated form, which is devoid of double bonds between nearby carbon atoms and saturated with attached hydrogen atoms. As a result, the tails are mostly straight.
- Unsaturated fatty acids, in comparison, do not have the greatest amount of hydrogen atoms, but they do include some double bonds between nearby carbon atoms; a double bond causes the string of carbons to bend by around 30 degrees.
- Therefore, if straight-tailed saturated fatty acids are squeezed by lowering temperatures, they press in on each other to create a dense and reasonably rigid membrane.
- When unsaturated fatty acids are squeezed, the "kinks" in their tails push nearby phospholipid molecules apart, preserving some distance between them.
- At temperatures where membranes containing saturated fatty acid tails in their phospholipids would "freeze" or "solidify," this "elbow room" aids in maintaining fluidity in the membrane.
- In a chilly climate, the relative fluidity of the membrane is crucial. Membranes made primarily of saturated fatty acids are often compressed in a cold environment, becoming less fluid and more prone to rupturing.
Thus, the correct answer is Myristoleic.
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