The two leaflets of a cell membrane differ in lipid and protein composition. This asymmetry is
- Acheck_circle
Functionally important — e.g., sugars on outer leaflet for cell-cell recognition
- B
Random — leaflet composition is determined by passive diffusion alone
- C
Quickly eliminated by lateral and flip-flop diffusion within the bilayer
- D
Found only in prokaryotic plasma membranes — eukaryotes lack asymmetry
Explanation
Lipid flip-flop is rare, allowing inner/outer leaflets to maintain distinct compositions tied to function.