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Why do sterols work as rigidity buffers in the cell membrane?
Solution
Sterols are essential in all eukaryotic cell membranes. Sterols reduce membrane fluidity and
permeability, and increase membrane rigidity and strength. Together with sphingolipids they
help organize regions of the membrane into lipid rafts, microdomains in the plasma membrane
with increased rigidity, that organize cell signaling proteins into functional complexes.

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