The carbohydrate components of glycoproteins and glycolipids on the cell exterior are known collectively as what?
AThe lipid raft
BThe lipid bilayer
CThe glycocalyx
DThe cytoskeleton
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: C. The glycocalyx
1. Carbohydrates on the exterior surface of the cell come attached to either proteins or lipids.
2. Taken together these carbohydrate components are called the glycocalyx, meaning sugar coating.
3. Lipid rafts are clusters of transmembrane proteins organized by cholesterol, which is a different structure.
4. The lipid bilayer is the phospholipid fabric itself, and the cytoskeleton is a fibre network inside the cell.
_Source: OpenStax Biology (1st ed., CC BY 4.0), Ch 5 "Structure and Function of Plasma Membranes", section 5.1 Components and Structure_
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