Which of the Following is a Characteristic of Membranes

Question

Which of the following is a characteristic of membranes?
A)They have identical protein and lipid composition in the major organelles.
B)They are micromolecular assemblies.
C)They define boundaries of a select few cellular components.
D)They are spontaneous assemblies resulting from hydrophobic interactions.

Accepted Answer

Membranes are indeed spontaneous assemblies that form due to hydrophobic interactions. The hydrophobic tails of phospholipids avoid water, leading to the formation of bilayers that constitute the core structure of membranes. This process is driven by the energetically favorable interactions between the hydrophobic lipid tails and the exclusion of water molecules, rather than by the formation of covalent bonds, making the assembly spontaneous.