Above is an image of a polypeptide located within the cell membrane. Its function is to pick up signals from either side of the membrane and convey them to the other side.

Which of the following statements about this polypeptide is likely to be true?

Question

Above is an image of a polypeptide located within the cell membrane. Its function is to pick up signals from either side of the membrane and convey them to the other side.

Which of the following statements about this polypeptide is likely to be true?

BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

To evaluate the statements, I will look at how the polypeptide sits in the cell membrane and what features indicate hydrophobicity.
Option 1: 'There are 4 areas of this polypeptide that are mostly hydrophobic.' The image shows several segments crossing the lipid bilayer, but the typical membrane-spanning polypeptide often has 2–3 transmembrane helices. The depiction does not clearly show four distinct, predominantly hydrophobic regions; thus this statement overcounts the hydrophobic segments.
Option 2: 'The areas marked with ✱ are hydrophobic' The diagram does show some marked areas with stars (✱). However, the stars seem to highlight the polar/uncharged or specific groups rather than labeling hydrophobic regions. Without a clear legend, this claim cannot be confirmed from the image alone, making it unreliable as a true description of hydrophobic areas.
Option 3: 'There are 3 areas of this polypeptide that are mostly hydrophobic.' The visual result shows three membrane-spanning segments that cross the lipid bilayer, each appearing to be composed of hydrophobic amino acids suitable for interacting with the hydrophobic core of the membrane. This aligns with the typical arrangement of a multi-pass transmembrane protein and fits the depicted topology.
Option 4: 'The hydrophilic parts of the membrane allow this protein to be embedded within it.' Hydrophilic portions prefer aqueous environments and are not compatible with embedding deeply within the hydrophobic core of the lipid bilayer. The protein embedding in the membrane requires hydrophobic (not hydrophilic) surfaces to span or reside within the membrane core, so this statement is incorrect.
In summary, the image supports a polypeptide with three mostly hydrophobic transmembrane regions, inconsistent with the idea of four hydrophobic areas or hydrophilic embedding, and cannot be confidently tied to the star-marked areas being hydrophobic. Therefore, Option 3 correctly describes the polypeptide’s hydrophobic topology and membrane-spanning nature.

Above is an image of a polypeptide located within the cell membrane. Its function is to pick up signals from either side of the membrane and convey them to the other side. Which of the following statements about this polypeptide is likely to be true?

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