Question

A carrier protein transfers a solute across the phospholipid bilayer via facilitated diffusion behaves much like an enzyme-substrate reaction.
A distintction between the process by which an enzyme converts substrate to product and facilitated transport is

• A. Solutes are able to undergo transport without chemical modification.
• B. Solutes are restricted to flow in one direction depending on the orientation of the carrier protein.
• C. Solutes are directly transported without interacting with or influencing the conformational state of the carrier protein.
• D. Solutes are transported whether or not there is a competitive or noncompetitive inhibitor present.

Answer 1

The correct option is A Solutes are able to undergo transport without chemical modification.

The plasma membrane is freely permeable to lipid soluable molecules or hydrophobic solutes. The hydrophilic solutes undergo facilitated diffusion via carrier proteins or channels.

Carrier proteins undergo modifications to allow the movement of solutes along the concentration gradient from either faces/sides of the membranes

So, the correct answer is 'Solutes are able to undergo transport without chemical modification'