Question

An example of selectively permeable membrane is ________.
A) Plasmalemma
B) Cell wall
C) Mitochondrial membrane
D) Chloroplast membrane

Answer 1

Hint: The membrane is considered as selectively permeable when it allows the movement of water inside the cell or cell organelles. In this process water from higher concentration moves to the lower concentration.

Complete Answer:
To solve this question, we have to know about the cell organelles.
- There are many organs like structures found inside the cell and are considered as cell organelles. Each organelle has particular structure and function.
- The organelles involve; cell membrane or we also call it plasma membrane, cell wall, cytoplasm, nucleus, mitochondria, golgi bodies, endoplasmic reticulum, lysosomes, and vacuoles. Some of the organelles are found in specific organisms like plastids and only found in the plant cells.
- The plasma membrane is the outermost layer of the animal's cells that are permeable in nature, but in plant cells the plasma membrane is covered by a cell wall that protects the inner cells of the plant.
- Cytoplasm is the jelly-like fluid found inside the cells that consists of different enzymes involved in metabolic reactions.
- Nucleus is double membrane bound organelles that consists of genetic materials and controls the cell activity, division and maintenance of hereditary characters.
- Mitochondria are considered as the powerhouse of the cell that consists of DNA, it maintains the ATP molecules within the cell and it is the respiratory site.
- Golgi bodies originate from the rough endoplasmic reticulum involved in the transport and modification of materials inside the body.
- Lysosomes are involved in the intracellular digestion of food, and vacuole arises from endoplasmic reticulum and golgi bodies; it provides turgidity and rigidity to the plant cell.

Among all these organelles there is one more organelles that is considered as the organelles within an organelles and it is called ribosome.
- Ribosomes are non membrane bound organelles made up of rRNA and proteins, it is also found in the mitochondria and chloroplasts. Ribosomes are involved in the protein production or we can also call it a protein factory. It carries the code for the translation of messenger RNA to protein.
Now, all organelles that are composed of plasma membrane are selectively permeable, but in this question you can see that for mitochondria and chloroplast the inner or outer layer is not mentioned, therefore, plasmalemma is selectively permeable in nature.

Hence, the correct answer is ‘A’ plasmalemma.

Note: Cell wall is only found in plant cells and absent in animal cells. Cell wall is also permeable in nature therefore to allow the process of transpiration and also involve the absorption of water molecules inside the plant cell.