An artificial membrane vesicle is mixed with several peripheral membrane proteins and analyzed by freeze-fracture electron microscopy.What will be seen in the resulting image?
A)Bumps will be visible on both layers
B)Bumps will be visible only in the extracellular face (E face)
C)Bumps will be visible in the protoplasmic face (P face)
D)No bumps will be visible in either face

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Peripheral membrane proteins do not integrate into the lipid bilayer; instead, they are loosely attached to the outer or inner surfaces of the membrane. Freeze-fracture electron microscopy primarily reveals structures within the membrane itself, such as transmembrane proteins or the bilayer's organization. Since peripheral proteins are not embedded within the membrane, they would not be visible as bumps in either the protoplasmic (P) or extracellular (E) faces in the freeze-fracture images.

An Artificial Membrane Vesicle Is Mixed with Several Peripheral Membrane