Water and Small Hydrophilic Solutes

Question

Water and small hydrophilic solutes
A) may pass through the phospholipid bilayer of the plasma membrane.
B) cannot pass through a plasma membrane.
C) can dissolve holes in the plasma membrane.
D) may pass through channels in the plasma membrane.
E) do not mix with each other.

Accepted Answer

Water and small hydrophilic solutes can pass through channels in the plasma membrane, such as aquaporins or ion channels. These channels provide a passage for these molecules to move across the lipid bilayer, which otherwise they would not be able to do on their own.