Unit 1. Lesson 2.

Biological Membrane and Transport

About Cell Membranes

 All cells have a cell membrane
 Functions:
a. Controls what enters and exits the cell to maintain an internal balance called
homeostasis
b. Provide protection and support for the cell

What is the purpose of a cellular transport

 Homeostasis depends upon appropriate movement of materials across the cell membrane.
 Required materials muss pass into cells so they are produced.
Ex. Oxygen and glucose for cellular respiration
 Waste materials muss pass out of the cells as they are produces.
Ex. The CO 2 produces as a waste product of cellular respiration
 The cell membrane regulates the passage of materials into and out pf the cell.
 Needed materials move in
 Excess materials move out

How?
 Each individual cell exists in a fluid environment, and the cytoplasm within the cell also has a
fluid environment. The presence of a liquid makes it possible for substances (such as nutrients,
oxygen, and waste products) to move in and out of the cell
 A cell membrane is semipermeable (selectively permeable), meaning that some substances can
pass directly through the cell membrane while other substances can not.
 Materials can enter or exit through the cell membrane by passive transport or active transport.

Fluid Mosaic Model

 Phospholipid bilayer has a fluid consistency
 Proteins are scattered
 Proposed by Singer and Nicolson
 Revised by David-Danielli
Function B. Membrane Carbohydrates
 Compartmentalization  Covalently linked to lipids and
 Scaffold for biochemical activities proteins
 Selective permeable barrier C. Membrane Proteins
 Transport solutes 1. Integral Proteins- transmembrane
 Responding to external signals proteins
 Intercellular interaction 2. Peripheral Proteins- noncovalently
 Energy transduction bonded to polar head groups of
lipid bilayer and/or to an integral
Composition membrane protein
A. Membrane Lipids- amphipathic 3. Lipid- anchored Proteins
a. Phosphoglycerides (or
phospholipids) Types of Cellular Transport
b. Sphingolipids (derivatives of  Passive Transport- cell doesn’t use
sphingosine, an amino alcohol energy
that contains a long 1. Diffusion
hydrocarbon chain) 2. Facilitated Diffusion
Sphingosine (2-amino- 3. Osmosis
4-octadecene-1,3-diol)  Active Transport- cell does use energy
c. Cholesterol 1. Protein Pumps
2. Endocytosis
3. Exocytosis

Name Direction Requirement Examples

Passive DIFFUSION Toward lower Concentration Lipid-soluble
Transport concentration gradient only molecules, water,
Means and gases
FACILITATED Toward lower Carrier and Some sugars and
TRANSPORT concentration concentration amino acids
gradient
Active Transport ACTIVE TRANSPORT Toward greater Carrier plus Other sugars,
Means concentration cellular energy amino acids, and
ions
EXOCYTOSIS Toward outside Vesicle fuses with Macromolecules
plasma
membrane
ENDOCYTOSIS
 Phagocytosis Toward Inside Vacuole Cells and
formation subcellular
material
 Pinocytosis Toward Inside Vesicle formation Macromolecules
(includes
receptor-
mediated
endocytosis

PASSIVE TRANSPORT:
DIFFUSION
Is the net passive movement of particles (atoms, ions or molecules) from a region in which they
are in higher concentration to region of lower concentration. It continues until the concentration of
substances is uniform throughout.
  Diffusion: random movement of particles from an area of high concentration to an area of low
concentration
 Diffusion continues until all molecules are evenly spaces (equilibrium is reached)- Note:
molecules will still move around but stay spread out

FACILITATED DIFFUSION
This is the movement of specific molecules down a concentration gradient, passing through the
membrane via a specific carrier protein. Thus, rather like enzymes, each carrier has its own shape and
only allows one molecule (or one group of closely related molecules) to pass through.

 Facilitated diffusion: diffusion of specific particles along the concentration (high  low) with
the help of transport proteins found in the membrane
a. Transport Proteins are specific- they “select” only certain molecules to cross the membrane
b. Transport larger or charged molecules that cannot pass through the membrane on their
own
c. Glucose is an example of a molecule that passes into the cell through facilitated diffusion

OSMOSIS

 Diffusion of water through a partially permeable membrane

from a more dilute solution to a more concentrated solution-
down the water potential gradient.
  Note: diffusion and osmosis are both passisve, i.e. energy from ATP is not used

OSMOSIS

Turgor is the pressure of the swollen cell contents against the cell wall when the external solution more
dilute than the cell sap of the vacuole.

Role of Turgor in Plants

 Mechanical support for soft non-woody tissue, e.g., leaves.

 Change in shape of guard cells forming the stomatal opening between them.
 Enlargement of young mature plant cells to mature size.

Hypotonic Solution

The solution has lower concentration of solutes and a higher concentration of water than inside the cell.
(Low solute; High water)

Result: Water moves from the solution to inside the cell- Cell swells and burst open (lyse)!

Hypertonic Solution

The solution has a higher concentration of solutes and a lower concentration of water than inside the
cell. (High solute; Low water)

Result: Water moves out of the cell into the solution: Cell shrivels!

Isotonic Solution

The concentration of solutes in the solution is equal to the concentration of solutes inside the cell
Results: Water moves equally in both directions and the cell remains same size! (Dynamic Equilibrium)

SUMMARY:

ACTIVE TRANSPORT:

 Requires the cell to use energy

 Actively moves molecules to where they are needed
 Molecules move against the concentration gradient – from an area of low concentration to an
area of high concentration
 (Low  High)

 Active transport is the energy-demanding transfer of a substance across a cell membrane

against its concentration gradient, i.e., from lower concentration to higher concentration
 Special proteins within the cell membrane act as specific proteins ‘carriers’.
 The energy transport comes from ATP (Adenosine Triphosphate) generated by respiration (in
mitochondria).

Major example of Active Transport

 Re-absorption of glucose, amino acids and salts by the proximal convoluted tubule of the
nephron in the kidney
 Sodium/potassium pumps in cell membranes (especially nerve cells)

Types of Active Transport

1. Protein Pumps- transport proteins that require energy to do

work
 Example: Sodium / Potassium Pumps are important in
nerve responses
  Protein changes shape to move molecules: This requires energy!

EXO/ENDOCYTOSIS
This is the movement of very large molecules (or particles, bacteria or other organisms) across
the cell membrane e.g. bacteria entering macrophages. Substances destined for secretion are packed in
the Golgi Body first

2. Endocytosis: taking bulky materials into a cell by forming a vesicle

 Uses energy
 Cell membrane in-folds around food particle
 “cell-eating”
 Forms food vacuole and digests food
 This is how white blood cells eat bacteria

 It is the process by which macro molecules are engulfed by plasma membrane and
brought into the cell within lipid vesicles.
 The receptor mediated endocytosis begins with the binding of macromolecules to
specific receptor proteins in the plasma membrane of the cell.
 The membrane then invaginates forming a vesicle that contains the bound molecules
 It fuses with the lysosome, which contains the hydrolytic enzymes. Inside of lysosome
the endocytosed material and the receptor may be degraded.
o Pinocytosis (cell drinking)
 This is the uptake of large molecules (DNA,
protein) from solution, by a form of
endocytosis – the vesicles formed are minute
and short-lived.
o Phagocytosis (cell eating)
 This is the uptake of solid particles by a cell
e.g. Amoeba feeding, phagocytes engulfing
bacteria.
3. Exocytosis: forces material out of cell in bulk
 Membrane surrounding the materials fuses with cell membrane
 Cell changes shape – requires energy
 Ex; Hormones or wastes released from cell

 It is similar to endocytosis but the direction of transport is opposite

 During exocytosis the materials to be secreted from the cell are enclosed in a vesicle the
vesicles then fuse with the plasma membrane releasing the vesicles contents into the
extracellular
 The zymogens of digestive enzymes are exported from the pancreatic cell in this
manner.