Question
Which of the following can passs directly across the plasma membrane?
Group of answer choices
small hydrophobic molecules
ions
charged particles
all of the above
Group of answer choices
small hydrophobic molecules
ions
charged particles
all of the above
Answers
GPT-4o mini
Among the options provided, the correct answer is:
**small hydrophobic molecules**
Small hydrophobic molecules can pass directly across the plasma membrane due to their ability to dissolve in the lipid bilayer.
In contrast, ions and charged particles typically cannot pass directly through the plasma membrane without the aid of transport proteins or channels, due to the hydrophilic nature of the membrane's surface. Therefore, they usually require specific transport mechanisms to cross the membrane.
**small hydrophobic molecules**
Small hydrophobic molecules can pass directly across the plasma membrane due to their ability to dissolve in the lipid bilayer.
In contrast, ions and charged particles typically cannot pass directly through the plasma membrane without the aid of transport proteins or channels, due to the hydrophilic nature of the membrane's surface. Therefore, they usually require specific transport mechanisms to cross the membrane.