When a plant becomes cold adapted, the composition of the plant membrane changes. What changes in the fatty acid and cholesterol composition would you predict? Why is this important? Or is it? What is the function of unsaturated hydrocarbon tails of membrane lipids?
Low temperature decreases fluidity of a cell. Cell membrane is made of phospholipids. At low temperature, the fatty acid tails of phospholipids become rigid. Both fatty acids and cholesterol, then don't make the cell membrane permeable to substances like oxygen. This is important because low temperature would affect cell growth and functioning and cells should not be exposed to prolonged low temperature. The unsaturated hydrocarbon tails form the lipid bilayer. As they are hydrophobic, they face inside and form an integral system in regulating permeability of the cell membrane.
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