alleryStart learning →The glycocalyx is highly hydrophilic. What does that property do for the cell?
AIt stiffens the membrane against puncture
BIt attracts large amounts of water to the surface
CIt blocks all solutes from reaching the cell
DIt anchors the membrane to cytoskeleton fibres
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: B. It attracts large amounts of water to the surface
1. The glycocalyx is highly hydrophilic, meaning it bonds readily with water.
2. It therefore attracts large amounts of water to the surface of the cell.
3. This aids the cell's interaction with its watery environment and its ability to obtain substances dissolved in that water.
4. Attracting water is the opposite of blocking solutes, so the third option inverts the effect.
5. Anchoring the membrane to cytoskeleton fibres is a job done by proteins on the interior side, not by exterior sugars.
_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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