Transverse diffusion of lipid layer occurs slower than lateral diffusion.
A. True
B. False
A. True.
Transverse diffusion of lipid layer occurs slower than lateral diffusion due to the fact that a relatively significant amount of energy is required for flip-flopping to occur. The spontaneous rotation of lipids from one face of a membrane to the other is a very slow process. The transition of a molecule from one membrane surface to the other is called transverse diffusion or flip-flop. This flip-flop of phospholipid molecules in phosphatidyl choline vesicles has been measured with the help of electron spin resonance techniques, which explains that a phospholipid molecule flip-flops once in several hours.
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