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Hydrophobic hormones such as steroids must be carried through the blood in a special way to reach their target cells. What allows them to remain soluble during this transport?
AThey dissolve in blood plasma
BThey travel inside red blood cells
CThey attach to surface receptors
DThey bind to carrier proteins
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: D. They bind to carrier proteins
1. Hydrophobic ligands, including steroid hormones, cannot dissolve directly in the watery blood plasma on their own.
2. To be soluble in blood, hydrophobic ligands must bind to carrier proteins while being transported.
3. This binding lets them travel through the bloodstream despite being hydrophobic.
4. Traveling inside red blood cells or attaching to cell-surface receptors while in transit are not the mechanisms described for solubility.
_Source: OpenStax Biology (1st ed., CC BY 4.0), Ch 9 "Cell Communication", section Signaling Molecules_
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