Microbiology with Diseases by Body System (4th Edition)

Published by Benjamin Cummings
ISBN 10: 032191855X
ISBN 13: 978-0-32191-855-0

Chapter 2 - The Chemistry of Microbiology - Tell Me Why - Question - Page 51: 1

Answer

The unsaturated fatty acids have kinks in their tails, resulting from C=C double bonds. These kinks when pressed due to the decrease in surrounding temperature, push adjacent phospholipid molecules of cell membrane away, hence maintaining the fluidity. In hot weather this behavior is not desired, hence cell membrane contains less unsaturated fatty acids.

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