The cell walls of a plant consist mostly of cellulose

Subject : Biology

Question: The cell walls of a plant consist mostly of cellulose, a carbohydrate, which provides a strong structure. The cell membrane gets its structure primarily from lipids, and embedded proteins allow for material transport.

Which of the following elements would be found in the LOWEST amounts in both the cell wall and cell membrane?

A) carbon

B) phosphorus

C) hydrogen

D) sodium

Expert Verified Solution:

The element that would be found in the LOWEST amounts in both the cell wall and cell membrane is:

D) sodium

Explanation:

Cell Wall: The cell wall of a plant is primarily composed of cellulose, a carbohydrate made up of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. Sodium is not a major component of cellulose and is found in very low concentrations in the cell wall.

Cell Membrane: The cell membrane is primarily composed of lipids (phospholipids) and proteins. Lipids contain carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen, and the phospholipids specifically also contain phosphorus. Sodium is present in the cell membrane but generally in much lower amounts compared to elements like carbon and phosphorus.

Thus, sodium is present in much smaller quantities in both the cell wall and cell membrane compared to elements like carbon, hydrogen, and phosphorus.