Explain the association of carbohydrate to the plasma membrane and its significance.
Ans.
Sugar residues attach with proteins or lipids in the plasma membrane, which can give rise to structures in short chains. They may be involved in cell recognition giving rise to different blood antigens, i.e. AB and O due to difference in the arrangement of carbohydrates on the surface of RNA. Cell surface differences that are related to the characteristic surface because of carbohydrate component also play a vital role in the specificity of cell action with bacteria, drugs, viruses, and hormones.