Question

Can carbohydrates pass through the cell membrane?

Answer 1

Cell membrane

1. The cell membrane is the biological membrane, found in all cells, that separates the interior of the cell from the outside environment.
2. It consists of lipids, proteins, and carbohydrates arranged as a bilayer.
3. This causes compartmentalization. It is selectively permeable and allows materials to pass through it selectively

Passing of carbohydrates

1. Carbohydrates present in the cell membrane are involved in cell adhesion and function as receptor molecules.
2. The cell membrane is selectively permeable.
3. Smaller uncharged molecules are able to diffuse easily across the membrane.
4. Glucose is a large uncharged polar molecule that cannot diffuse across the membrane.
5. They move across the membrane via transmembrane proteins called transporters. They bind to glucose molecules and result in conformational change which causes their movement across the membrane.