You have just discovered an organism that lives in extremely cold environments. Which of the following would you predict to be true about the phospholipids in its membranes, compared to phospholipids in the membranes of organisms that live in warmer environments?
A) The membrane phospholipids of cold- adapted organisms will have more unsaturated hydrocarbon tails.
B) The membrane phospholipids of cold- adapted organisms will have longer hydrocarbon tails.
C) The membrane phospholipids of cold- adapted organisms will have more saturated hydrocarbon tails.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Phospholipids with more unsaturated hydrocarbon tails have a lower melting point and are more fluid at low temperatures. Therefore, cold-adapted organisms are likely to have membranes with more unsaturated phospholipids to maintain membrane fluidity in extremely cold environments.

You Have Just Discovered an Organism That Lives in Extremely