A Levels Biology (9700)•9700/11/M/J/18

Explanation
Factors Increasing Membrane Fluidity at Low Temperatures Steps:
- Identify factors: 1) unsaturated fatty acids introduce kinks, preventing tight packing; 2) shorter fatty acid chains reduce van der Waals interactions; 3) cholesterol disrupts phospholipid alignment, acting as a buffer.
- At low temperatures, membranes gel; these factors maintain disorder.
- Evaluate combinations: all three counteract gel phase effectively.
- Select option including all: A covers 1, 2, and 3.
Why A is correct:
- All three factors reduce packing density, increasing fluidity per fluid mosaic model.
Why the others are wrong:
- B excludes 2, missing shorter chains' role.
- C excludes 2 and 3, incomplete.
- D excludes 1, ignoring unsaturation's kinks.
Final answer: A
Topic: Fluid mosaic membranes
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