Question

What is the word for membrane proteins that have carbohydrates attached to them?

Answer 1

glycoprotein

Explanation:

A membrane protein that has a carbohydrate (sugar) attached is called a glycoprotein.

Membrane glycoproteins have various roles in cell communication, including:

• cell-to-cell recognition - glycoproteins can bind together if they find a glycoprotein that "matches" on another cell
• helping the immune system recognize foreign invaders
• acting as a receptor: viruses use glycoproteins embedded in the plasma membrane to bind to cells, and protein-based hormones bind to receptors in the cell membrane
• differentiating blood types: the different blood types (A, B, AB, and O) are due to certain glycoproteins being absent or present on the cell membrane