Integral vs Peripheral Membrane Proteins — Classification by Ease of Extraction
📚 Practice ConceptDepending on the ease of extraction, membrane proteins can be classified as integral and peripheral. Peripheral proteins lie on the surface of membrane while the integral proteins are partially or totally buried in the membrane.
Peripheral proteins are partially or totally buried in the membrane while integral proteins lie on the surface.
Integral proteins are partially or totally BURIED in the membrane. Peripheral proteins lie on the SURFACE of the membrane.
INTEGRAL = INSIDE the membrane (buried, hard to extract). PERIPHERAL = on PERIPHERY (surface, easy to extract).
- Classification basis: ease of EXTRACTION from the membrane (NCERT exact).
- Integral proteins: partially or totally BURIED in the bilayer — difficult to extract.
- Peripheral proteins: lie on the SURFACE of the membrane — easily extracted.
- Common A-R trap: NTA reverses the definitions — students who don't memorise exact wording fall for it.
Consider the following statements about membrane proteins: S1: Membrane proteins are classified as integral and peripheral based on the ease of extraction. S2: Peripheral proteins are partially or totally buried within the membrane. S3: Integral proteins lie on the surface of the membrane. S4: Integral proteins are partially or totally buried in the membrane. S5: Peripheral proteins lie on the surface of the membrane and can be extracted with mild treatments.
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Correct answer: B — S1, S4 and S5
S1 CORRECT: NCERT classifies based on ease of extraction. S2 WRONG: Peripheral proteins lie on the SURFACE (not buried) — common A-R reversal trap. S3 WRONG: Integral proteins are BURIED (not on surface). S4 CORRECT: Integral proteins are partially or totally buried. S5 CORRECT: Peripheral proteins lie on the surface and are easily extracted. The whole concept is a definition-swap trap: don't read the words 'buried' and 'surface' the wrong way around.
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