medium · MCAT chem-phys

How does the addition of cholesterol to a biological membrane affect its fluidity at different temperatures?

1. It increases fluidity at all temperatures by disrupting the packing of the phospholipid bilayer's fatty tails.
2. It decreases fluidity at all temperatures by wedging between phospholipids, making the membrane uniformly rigid.
3. It acts as a buffer, preventing excessive fluidity at high temperatures and maintaining fluidity at low temperatures.
4. It has no effect on membrane fluidity whatsoever; it only serves as a biosynthetic precursor molecule for steroid hormones.

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