The cell membrane is described as "selectively permeable" because
- A
It permits only water molecules to pass through aquaporins while completely excluding every other dissolved solute
- B
It allows any molecule to diffuse freely across the bilayer, ignoring size, polarity, and electrical charge
- Ccheck_circle
It lets small non-polar and tiny polar molecules cross while restricting most polar/charged solutes
- D
It actively blocks every molecule from crossing the bilayer regardless of size, polarity, or chemical character
Explanation
Lipid bilayer is permeable to small non-polar molecules and water; larger or charged solutes need protein channels/carriers.