Florene Bhon Gumapac Grade 12 Dalton

GENERAL BIOLOGY 1
WEEK 5: PLASMA MEMBRANE-MAKING

Checking for Understanding Questions

1. What is the function of a plasma membrane?

The plasma membrane is semi-permeable as it allows the transport of

some materials or nutrients into the cell but inhibits the passage of others, and
aside from that, they also allow the transport of substances out of the cell. It
keeps the cell intact and it also acts as a protective barrier, and regulates the
transport of water or nutrients in and out of the cell.

2. What are the principal components of a cell membrane?

The principal components of the plasma membrane are lipids

(phospholipids and cholesterol), proteins (integral and peripheral), and
carbohydrates. First is lipids which are phospholipids and cholesterol.
Phospholipids are the one that surround and protect the internal cell
components, while cholesterols are the one that maintain the integrity and
fluidity of the plasma membrane itself as they act as spacers or pullers of the
phospholipids. Next is proteins which are integral proteins and peripheral
proteins. Integral proteins are the ones that allow the transport of materials or
substances as they also provide structural support, while peripheral proteins
are the ones that perform cell recognition and perform as enzyme actors to
speed up reactions. Lastly, carbohydrates which are involved in cell signaling
and the recognition of cell identity.

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Checking for Understanding Questions

3. In your own words, describe the Fluid Mosaic Model of the plasma membrane
proposed by Singer and Nicolson.

The Fluid Mosaic Model of the plasma membrane was proposed by S.J.
Singer and Garth L. Nicolson in 1972. It is composed of phospholipids arranged
in a double layer manner with proteins either between or on the phospholipids
and carbohydrates attached to some lipids or some proteins.

“Plasma Membrane-making” Documentation

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Gaining Mastery Questions

1. What have you observed after you pour the mixture to the funnel with the
cloth?

After pouring the mixture into the funnel with the cloth I have, I observed
that the water freely flowed through the cloth and the funnel but the pebbles
were filtered out by the cloth for the evident reason that the cloth held out the
size of the pebble.

2. Based on the information you know about plasma membrane, what does the
cloth, bottle, water, and pebbles represents to? Why did you say so?

Based on the information about plasma membrane, the cloth can

represent the plasma membrane itself as it regulates what can or cannot enter
the bottle which acts as the cell in our experimental system. While for the water
and pebbles, they represent the water, nutrients, molecules, macromolecules,
and foreign substances that can or cannot enter the cell.

3. Based on the experiment, how can you explain selective permeability?

Selective permeability can best be explained as the ability of the plasma

membrane to regulate what freely enters or leaves the cell. Based on the
experiment, the cloth explained how selective permeability works on a cell.
Selective permeability is the ability of the plasma membrane to allow the
transport of some materials into the cell, and at the same time, inhibit the
passage of others. Back on the experiment, we experience that the cloth allows
some materials to freely enter or leave the cell, while filtered out the pebbles
which could represent other foreign substances.

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