Lecture in biological and

medical physics
Cell membrane
 Plan
 Composition of Cell Membrane
 Structure of Cell Membrane
 Solid and Liquid States of Cell membrane
 Mobility of Cell Membrane Proteins
 Mobility of Cell Membrane Phospholipids
 Regulation of Protein Mobility in the Cell
Membrane
The cell membrane is very thin, elastic
structure only 7.5-10 nm thick.
 Composition of the cell membrane

It composed Carbohydrates 3%
almost
entirely of
proteins and Cholesterol 13%
lipids. The
approximate Phospholipids 25%
composition is

Proteins 55%
Phospholipids
in the cell
membrane
Proteins in the cell membrane
Structure of cell membrane
The lipid bilayer can be in two states: solid
and liquid states.
0.48 nm2
Liquid Thickness
4.7 nm

0.58nm2

Thickness Solid
3.9 nm
 Conformation of phospholipids

Total conformation Biconformation

C
C C
C
C C
C C
C C
kink
C C
C C
C C C
C
C C
C C
C C
 Temperature of phase transition
 When 50% of phospholipids are in the
solid state, and the other 50% are in
liquid state, we measure the temperature
of phase
transition
(temperature
of melting).
 T<0°C.
 Mobility
of lipids
in the cell
membrane

Rotational
Vibrational Translational
motion
motion motion
ω=109 rad/s
 Translational
motion

Lateral
Flip-flop
diffusion
Lateral diffusion- in –plane motion

Frequency of jumps 1 D
r  2 3
A
 Is
10-11-10-12
m /s
2

coefficient
of
lateral
diffusion
Depends on
Depends on
type of
phospholipid temperature
 For instance:
sarcoplasmic reticulum membrane
D=12·10-12 m2/s at T=40ºC
A=7·10-19 m2

r-1= 5.9 ·107 s-1

 Average distance of phospholipid

S  4 Dt
For sarcoplasmic reticulum membrane
S= 6.9·10 -6 m
Flip-flop
Mobility of proteins in the cell membrane

Mobility

Rotational
motion Vibrational Translational
ω=106 rad/s motion motion
Lateral diffusion- in –plane motion

Frequency of jumps 1 D
r  2 3
D=10-14m2/s A
 Average distance of proteins

S  4 Dt

Period of flip-flop
From some days to some weeks
 Regulation of protein mobility
 Lipid dominated control
 Integral protein dominated
 Peripheral protein dominated
Any question?