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and Function
Cell Membrane
• Every cell is encircled by a membrane and
most cells contain an extensive intracellular
membrane system.
• Membranes fence off the cell's interior from
its surroundings.
• Membranes let in water, certain ions and
substrates and they excrete waste substances.
• Without a membrane the cell contents would
diffuse into the surroundings, information
containing molecules would be lost and many
metabolic pathways would cease to work.
The cell would die!
Membrane Structure
The cell is highly organized with many
functional units or organelles inside. Most
of these units are limited by one or more
membranes.
To perform the functions of an organelle,
the membrane is specialized in that it
contains specific proteins and lipid
components that enable it to perform its
unique roles.
In essence membranes are essential for the
integrity and function of the cell.
The Cell
Membrane
Cell membranes
What is their structure?
We don’t know currently
There are a number of hypotheses and
we will consider the one which is
currently accepted........
Structure - The Cell Membrane
The fluid mosaic model of membrane
structure
• The membrane is a mosaic (mixture) of
different protein molecules floating in a
bilayer (double layer) of phospholipids
• Each phospholipid has a hydrophilic (water-
loving) head & hydrophobic (water-hating)
tails
• Because of this feature of phospholipids, the
lipid bilayers assemble themselves
spontaneously
The fluid mosaic model
glycerol
Outside layer
Inside Layer
The fluid mosaic model
• This proposes that the cell membrane is made
up of 2 main layers – lipids and proteins.
• The lipids form themselves into a bi-layer with
the water seeking ends (hydrophilic) facing out
& the water hating ends (hydrophobic) facing
in.
• The proteins are embedded in this layer but
can move around or flip over.
• Special carrier molecules take in important
elements, like ions, at the cell membrane, using
energy supplied by the cell and use the
proteins that are embedded in the lipid layer.
Membrane Function
• Sometimes the elements bind to the
proteins, which flip over, thus transporting
the element into the cell.
• Some proteins form a ‘pore’ through which
the element can pass from the outside to
the inside of the cell membrane.
• The movement of the phospholipid and
protein components through the plasma
membrane permits the membrane to
change shape—this is known as fluidity.
• This flexibility is crucial to many different
types of cells.
The cellmembrane
The cell membrance is a3complex
is a complex d structure.
structure
3d circular structure
Structure
• Fluid-like composition…like soap
bubbles
• Composed of:
– Lipids in a bi-layer – what is this?
– Proteins embedded in lipid layer (called
trans-membrane proteins)
– Proteins floating within the lipid sea (called
integral proteins)
– Proteins associated outside the lipid bi-
layer (peripheral proteins).
The fluid mosaic model
Composition of the cell
membrane
I S
Peripheral Proteins TH
Phospholipids AW
Integral Proteins DR
Cell
Membrane
Plant cells
Two types of transport
I S
TH
W
NO
K
Passive Transport
3 types
Solution
CO2 O2
Rate of Diffusion
• The rate of diffusion depends on:
• Size of the particles: smaller = faster
• Temperature (eg. kinetic energy): hotter = faster
• The concentration gradient: the higher it is =
faster the rate.
• State of the particles: gas > liquid > solid
• Distance - thickness of the exchange surface:
thinner = faster
• Surface area available: larger = faster
Facilitated Diffusion
• Transport proteins carry specific
molecules across the cell membrane
• Movement is along a concentration
gradient (i.e. From higher to lower)
• Each type of transport protein will carry
only one type of molecule.
• This is how glucose is moved.
Facilitated Diffusion
Transport protein Glucose
Concentration
gradient
Transport Proteins
• Move solutes faster
across membrane
• Highly specific to specific
solutes
• Can be inhibited by drugs
Concentration
gradient Cell membrane
Concentration
gradient Cell membrane
Weak Solution
Strong Solution
Solute
Molecule
Water Molecule
Hypotonic Hypertonic
solution solution
haemolysis
Osmosis & Plant Cells
Hypotonic
solution Hypertonic
solution
Turgid Cell Plasmolysed Cell
Plasmolysis in Elodea
Plasmolysis in Elodea:
http://www.mrphome.net/mrp/Mem
Active Transport
• Cell Energy is used to move substances
across the cell membrane
• The substances are moved against the
concentration gradient i.e. from where there
is less to where there is more.
Transport proteins
Concentration
gradient Cell membrane
•Animation;
•YouTube - Endocytosis & Exocytosis
Exocytosis
the finer detail
Bulk Transport
Ion Channels
• Work fast: No conformational changes
needed
• Not simple pores in membrane:
– specific to different ions (Na, K, Ca...)
– gates control opening
– Toxins, drugs may affect channels
• saxitoxin, tetrodotoxin
• cystic fibrosis
Sodium-Potassium Pump
Na-K Pump Model: Part I
• 3 Na+ bind to inner region of protein
• Na+ binding triggers phosphorylation of
protein. ATP ADP + Pi
• Phosphorylation causes conformation
change and Na+ binding site faces outside
• 3 Na+ released to outside
Na-K Active Pump: Part II
• 2 K+ ions on outside are able to bind
• K+ binding causes de-phosphorylation
and new conformation change
• 2K+ ions exposed to inside and
released
Cyclic process uses ATP energy to drive
Na & K ion transport against conc.
Gradient
Root Hair Cells and Active
Transport
• Root hair cells take in minerals using
active transport.
• If the concentration of minerals is higher in
the root hair than in the soil, then the cell
needs to use energy to actively transport
the minerals into the cell against the
concentration gradient.
Active Transport and Villi
• When there’s lots of nutrients in the gut
they diffuse naturally into the blood. But...
• Sometimes there are less nutrients in the
gut than in the blood, so the villi cells of
our gut use active transport to absorb
these nutrients against their concentration
gradient.
Villi and Glucose Uptake
Passive vs. Active Transport