Membrane Surface: What its polarity/nature?

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SaintJude

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Interleukin-2 (IL-2) is secreted into the plasma and exerts its effect on other T-cells by binding to IL-2 receptors expressed on the surface of T cells.

The portion of IL-2 receptors expressed on the T-cell membrane is most likely:

A. hydrophilic
B. nonpolar
C. hydrophobic
D. lipophilic




Answer: A

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Ok, right. That should have been a freebie, but I wasn't 100% sure. Surface of the membrane= hydrophilic.
 
Ok, right. That should have been a freebie, but I wasn't 100% sure. Surface of the membrane= hydrophilic.

Yea because the surface of any membrane is exposed to the aqueous body fluids.
 
Even if you didn't know right away that a portion of a receptor exposed to the extracellular (aqueous) environment would have to be hydrophilic, POE works pretty well here: lipophilic = nonpolar = hydrophobic, so the only answer different enough to be correct is A.
 
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