Question

Which of the following is not the function of plasma membrane?
a) Intercellular interactions
b) Responding to external stimuli
c) Energy transduction
d) Assisting in chromosome secretion

Answer 1

Answer:

Abstract

When considering which components of the cell are the most critical to function and physiology, we naturally focus on the nucleus, the mitochondria that regulate energy and apoptotic signaling, or other organelles such as the endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi, ribosomes, etc. Few people will suggest that the membrane is the most critical element of a cell in terms of function and physiology. Those that consider the membrane critical will point to its obvious barrier function regulated by the lipid bilayer and numerous ion channels that regulate homeostatic gradients. What becomes evident upon closer inspection is that not all membranes are created equal and that there are lipid-rich microdomains that serve as platforms of signaling and a means of communication with the intracellular environment. In this review, we explore the evolution of membranes, focus on lipid-rich microdomains, and advance the novel concept that membranes serve as “capacitors for energy and metabolism.” Within this framework, the membrane then is the primary and critical regulator of stress and disease adaptation of the cell.

Keywords: membrane, cholesterol, metabolism, rafts, caveolae, energy

what is life? The answer can be literal, basic, and simple—the name of a breakfast cereal or a book written by Erwin Schrödinger—or more complex and abstract, invoking the philosophical and spiritual. The dictionary (thefreedictionary.com) definition states, “the property or quality that distinguishes living organisms from dead organisms and inanimate matter, manifested in functions such as metabolism, growth, reproduction, and response to stimuli or adaptation to the environment originating from within the organism.” In the most simplified and primary sense, life is manifest in a single cell and in a teleological view is something dependent on the plasma membrane. Since its observation in the seventeenth century with microscopy, the plasma membrane has been the focus of numerous investigations, and many advances in our understanding of the plasma membrane have been achieved thus far (24a). The plasma membrane is known to be a major coordinator between extracellular signals and intracellular responses, and it also plays a crucial role to link intracellular processes to cell-cell interactions and tissue organization (131). Therefore, the plasma membrane is involved in vast aspects of cellular function: from intracellular endosomes and extracellular vesicles to receptor signaling, presentation of surface proteins, and protein secretion (4).

Answer 2

(d) Assisting in chromosome segregation is not the function of the plasma membrane.

Explanation for the answer:

• Plasma membrane also known as Cell membrane is generally found existing in all the cells which distinguish the inside of the cell from its exterior.
• In plant and bacterial cells, the cell wall is observed fastened to the plasma membrane on its exterior surface.
• This membrane examines the transportation of particles which enter and exit the cell and consists of a lipid bilayer which is semipermeable in nature.
• Its functions are Intercellular interactions, Responding to external stimuli and Energy transduction.
• Hence, the correct answer among all the options is option (d) Assisting in chromosome segregation.

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