Fatty acid saturation and membrane fluidity
Which change would increase the fluidity of a phospholipid bilayer?
Answer D: explanation for every choice
A
Saturated tails are straight and pack tightly, which decreases fluidity.
B
Longer tails have more van der Waals contact with neighbors, which decreases fluidity.
C
Lower temperature decreases fluidity.
D
Correct. Cis double bonds put kinks in the tails, which disrupts packing and increases fluidity.
TakeawayCis double bonds, shorter tails, and higher temperature all increase fluidity.
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Reviewed 2026-11-05 by a medical student. Spot an error? Report it with question ID bb16.