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What molecule would be unable to diffuse through a cell membrane?Multiple choice question.glycogenoxygenfatty acidscarbon dioxide

Question

What molecule would be unable to diffuse through a cell membrane?

Multiple choice question.

  • glycogen
  • oxygen
  • fatty acids
  • carbon dioxide
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Solution

The molecule that would be unable to diffuse through a cell membrane is glycogen.

Here's why:

  1. The cell membrane, also known as the plasma membrane, is selectively permeable. This means it allows certain substances to pass through while blocking others.

  2. Small, nonpolar molecules like oxygen and carbon dioxide can easily pass through the cell membrane. They do this by simple diffusion, moving from an area of high concentration to an area of low concentration.

  3. Fatty acids, being nonpolar and small, can also pass through the cell membrane.

  4. However, glycogen is a large, polar molecule. It's a complex carbohydrate that the body uses for energy storage. Due to its size and polarity, it cannot easily pass through the lipid bilayer of the cell membrane. Therefore, it would be unable to diffuse through a cell membrane.

This problem has been solved

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