Cell Membrane Proteins

Summary
Cell membrane can be composed of up to 75% protein. Most cell membranes have about 50% or
less protein, and the proteins are there because the cell membrane uses proteins for pretty much
everything that it does-- all these cell membrane processes that it performs. Cell membrane is
made up of little things that look like this, which are called phospholipids. And they come
together and form what we call a lipid bilayer. Lipid bilayer is made up a lot of these small
phospholipids and it'll make up the bilayer. There are two major types of proteins in the cell
membrane. Integral protein can appear anywhere in the cell membrane, and there are usually
quite a few of these throughout the entire cell. It's called an integral protein, because you can
think of it like it's integrated throughout the entire membrane. Another type of protein that might
appear on top of the membrane is called call peripheral proteins. Occasionally, it might be
slightly into the membrane, and it can also rest on top of integral proteins. It is called a peripheral
protein because it's on the peripheral or the outside of the cell membrane. The difference between
peripheral and integral proteins is that integral proteins are really stuck inside the cell membrane.
The integral protein is inside the membrane, and as a result, it will be very difficult to remove.
Peripheral proteins kind of attach and remove themselves from the cell membrane or from other
proteins. They generally are there for different cell processes, so for example, a hormone might
be a peripheral protein, and it might attach to the cell, make the cell do something, and then
leave. Peripheral proteins can also exist inside the cell on the cell membrane. Another type of
protein is extremely rare, and it can appear inside the cell membrane like that. And we call this a
lipid-bound protein. Why might you think a lipid bound protein is so difficult to find, so rare?
Well, the reason why is because proteins are there to interact with the outside environment, and
lipid bound proteins are stuck on the interior of the cell membrane itself. It can really interact
with the outside of the cell or the inside the cell and it doesn't really serve a big function in terms
of the cell membrane performing its duties. Two types of integral proteins that are extremely
important, because these two proteins are found all over the cell, and they help the cell maintain
homeostasis or balance. Integral protein is used to allow things to pass through the cell. We call
this a channel protein, and like the name kind of implies, there's a channel, or hole, inside the
protein that allow things pass through. For example, if there is some sort of ion-- let's say this is
an Na+ ion, a sodium ion, this is outside the cell. And the cell at this point needs these sodium
ions to perform an important process. So, what the channel proteins do is they'll allow these
outside extracellular ions into the cell. And normally, these sodium ions wouldn't be able to pass
through the cell membrane just by themselves. These channel proteins allow our bodies to take in
different materials from the outside environment into our cells. What they can also do is they can
also do the reverse. Channel proteins generally don't require energy, so there's no energy needed.
Sometimes we call energy ATP. Channel proteins goes with the concentration gradient. It'll
pump from where there's a lot of sodium into where there's very little. So, it'll go what we call
down a concentration gradient. The second type of very important integral protein is called a
carrier protein. And like the name implies, it carries substances into the cell. I kind of picture it
like a baseball glove, like this. So, if there's a molecule that's outside the cell and the cell needs
this molecule-- so what the carrier protein will do is it'll protect this substance so that it can enter
the cell safely. It can also do this in reverse. It can take something inside the cell and pump it
outside the cell. And this type of protein is important, because unlike channel proteins, carrier
proteins can go against the concentration gradient. Our cell has a lot of chloride ions, and our
body needs more to perform a certain process. Our body can bring more chloride ions into our
cell, even though our cell already has a lot of chloride ions. Carrier proteins can sometimes use
energy or ATP. Finally, there is a type of protein, this is what we call a glycoprotein.
Glycoprotein has a chain of sugars attached to a protein, and it can be on integral proteins,
peripheral proteins, channel proteins. Glycoproteins have the prefix “glycol”, which means
sugar. And basically, it's just sugar plus protein. And the purpose of glycoproteins is used in
signaling. So, it allows a cell to recognize another cell.
In summary, we have two main classes of proteins. We have peripheral proteins, which are on
the outside of the cell, and they're easy to remove. We have our integral proteins, which are stuck
inside the cell and tough to remove. We have our lipid bound proteins. We have channel
proteins, which allow things to move through the cell by its concentration gradient, and it doesn't
require energy (ATP) We have our carrier proteins, which are kind of like a baseball glove. It
can take in a molecule and let it out inside the cell, or it can do it in reverse. And these can
sometimes use ATP, and what's special they can go against the concentration gradient. And
finally, we have glycoproteins which can be any of the proteins. It's a sugar plus a protein and it
participates in signaling, so cells can recognize each other.