Answer
A single 9 reisdue segment with a beta confirmation cannot serve as the transmembrane portion of an integral membrane protein because transmembrane proteins spans the entire lipid bilayer which is 7.5 to 10nm in thickness so to be a transmembrane protein the proteins molecule must be at least 7.5 nm in length but in this case the 9 residue segments has a length of 3.5 * 9= 31.5 A which is equal to 3.15 nm which is very less than the thickness of lipid bilayer (7.5 nm - 10 nm). Hence ot it cannot serve as a transmembrane portion.
Work Step by Step
A single 9 reisdue segment with a beta confirmation cannot serve as the transmembrane portion of an integral membrane protein because transmembrane proteins spans the entire lipid bilayer which is 7.5 to 10nm in thickness so to be a transmembrane protein the proteins molecule must be at least 7.5 nm in length but in this case the 9 residue segments has a length of 3.5 * 9= 31.5 A which is equal to 3.15 nm which is very less than the thickness of lipid bilayer (7.5 nm - 10 nm). Hence ot it cannot serve as a transmembrane portion.
