Hyperthermophilic Archaea have been found to contain dibiphytanyl tetraether lipids. Why are these lipids different from lipids present in non-hyperthermophiles? What special properties and structures do they confer?
What will be an ideal response?
Answer: The phytanyl units confer high thermostability in lipids, because they form strong covalent bonds with each other around the lipid (monolayer) membrane. Unlike cells containing a lipid bilayer, dibiphytanyl tetraether lipids form a lipid monolayer strongly resistant to being pulled apart from heat. The dibiphytanyl tetraether lipids found only in hyperthermophilic Archaea help to explain how they are capable of withstanding such high heat while others cannot.
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Archibald Garrod called genetic disorders of biochemical pathways ____________________. Fill in the blank(s) with the appropriate word(s)
Mutations are changes in the nucleotide sequence of DNA that ____
a. do not occur in the germ cells b. do not occur in the somatic cells c. are always chemically induced d. are always spontaneous e. can be passed on to daughter cells
Place the phases of the ovarian cycle in the correct sequence with the first phase to occur at the top of the list.