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Multiple Choice
Which of the following statements is FALSE?
A
The hydrophobic tails of archaeal membranes are repeating isoprene units.
B
The glycerophosphate head & fatty acid tail of bacterial membranes are linked by an ester linkage.
C
The glycerophosphate head & fatty acid tail of eukaryotic membranes are linked by an ether linkage.
D
The glycerophosphate head & fatty acid tail of archaeal membranes are linked by an ether linkage.
E
The hydrophobic tails of bacterial membranes are long fatty acid chains.
Verified step by step guidance
1
Step 1: Understand the structure of archaeal membranes. Archaeal membranes are unique because their hydrophobic tails are composed of repeating isoprene units, and the glycerophosphate head is linked to these tails via an ether linkage. This is a key distinguishing feature of archaeal membranes.
Step 2: Review the structure of bacterial membranes. Bacterial membranes consist of a glycerophosphate head and long fatty acid chains as hydrophobic tails. These components are connected by an ester linkage, which is a characteristic feature of bacterial membranes.
Step 3: Examine the structure of eukaryotic membranes. Eukaryotic membranes are similar to bacterial membranes in that they also have a glycerophosphate head and fatty acid tails connected by an ester linkage. They do not have ether linkages, which is a feature specific to archaeal membranes.
Step 4: Identify the false statement by comparing the provided options to the known characteristics of archaeal, bacterial, and eukaryotic membranes. The false statement is the one that incorrectly describes the linkage type in eukaryotic membranes as an ether linkage, which is not accurate.
Step 5: Conclude that the false statement is: 'The glycerophosphate head & fatty acid tail of eukaryotic membranes are linked by an ether linkage,' as eukaryotic membranes use ester linkages, not ether linkages.