Solution to PS 6 #9
Organisms distribute lipids in cell membranes so as to maintain fluidity
at the temperatures at which the organism lives. Unsaturated fatty acids
have a lower melting temperature than saturated fatty acids and therefore
remain liquid at lower temperatures. Since reindeer hooves
experience a lower temperature than the upper leg does, placing more
unsaturated fatty acids in the membranes in the hooves assures that the
membranes in the hooves stay fluid.
Return to Problem Set #6