The Cytoplasmic Membranes of ________ May Contain Branched Hydrocarbons

Question

The cytoplasmic membranes of ________ may contain branched hydrocarbons.
A) archaeal cells
B) bacterial cells
C) eukaryotic cells
D) both bacterial and eukaryotic cells
E) archaeal, bacterial, and eukaryotic cells

Accepted Answer

Archaeal cells are known to have unique phospholipids that contain branched hydrocarbons in their cytoplasmic membranes. This is in contrast to bacterial cells, which generally have straight-chain fatty acids, and eukaryotic cells, which have fatty acids with a variety of structures but are typically not branched.