Membranes Revision Notes

Membrane structure Function

We use the Fluid mosaic model of membrane structure

Plasma Membrane

Is partially permeable and controls exit and entrance of substances out of

and into cells

Also allows cell to cell recognition and cell communication

Membranes within cells

Many organelles are surrounded

by membranes to divide the cell into
compartments Each compartment can perform different functions known as
division of labour
Membranes of many organelles are folded to increase SA

Membranes can also form vesicles to transport substances around the cell

5 main components of plasma membrane

1 Phospholipids
2 Cholestrol
3 Proteins
4 Glycolipids
5 Glycoproteins

1 Phospholipids

Consist of a phosphate head and two fatty acid tails

Head is hydrophilic forms H bonds with water
Tails are Hydrophobic repel water
when in solution phospholipids will always orientate themselves into a bilayer
with the heads on the outside
Bilayer is approx 7 10 nm thick
 2 cholesterol

stabilises the membrane by allowing the phospholipid tails to pack together

more tightly
At high temperatures makes membrane more rigid
At lower temperatures makes membrane more fluid

3 Proteins

control what enters and leaves the cell by forming channels carriers or
pumps
Proteins also act as receptors for various molecules involved in cell
signalling
Membrane proteins can be classified as intrinsic integral or peripheral
Intrinsic proteins are embedded in either
layer
4 5 Glycolipids and Glycoproteins

Glycolipid carbohydrate attached to a lipid

Glycoprotein Carbohydrate attached to a protein

Both act as receptors for cell signalling molecules They are also sites
hormones and antibodies
where drugs may bind
Also form antigens cell surface molecules involved in cell recognition and
he immune response

Cell signalling
cells must communicate with each other to co ordinate processes and
respond to change

Specific chemical messengers are used that bind to specific receptors

on the plasma membrane of the target cell

Binding of messenger to receptor triggers an intracellular response

eg a protein might be produced and released regulated secretion

 Many drugs venoms and toxins also work by binding to receptors on
plasma membranes

They either enhance the usual response agonists or block the receptor
antagonists and prevent the cell from responding

One such toxin is atropine derived from the deadly nightshade

plant

Factors affecting Membrane Permeability

High Temperatures
When temp increases the phospholipids gain kinetic energy and vibrate
faster
The membrane becomes more fluid and begins to lose its structure
increasing permeability

Cholesterol restrains the movement of the phospholipid bilayer reducing the effect
of increasing temp

At even higher temperatures protein carriers and channels may denature

tertiary structure is disrupted and cease functioning

Ow Temperatures

As the fatty acid tails cool they loose kE and become compressed together
membrane fluidity decreases

The relative proportions of saturated to unsaturated phospholipids determines

the exact fluidity of the membrane at low temperatures

when unsaturated fatty acids are compressed the kinks in their tails are
push adjacent phospholipids away preventing the fluidity lowering too much
Cholesterol also buffers the effect of low temperatures and prevents the
fluidity lowering too much

does this by making sure the phospholipids are not packed too
loosely
Organic Solvents

Organic solvents such as alcohol will dissolve plasma membranes disrupting

cells

The alcohol found in many antiseptic wipes will dissolve the membranes of
Bacteria

All cells rely on in tact membranes to carry out their normal function
however some cells are more susceptible to the effects of alcohol than
others

Transport across Membranes

Diffusion the net overall movement of substances molecules or ions

from a region of high concentration to a region of low
concentration

It is a passive process the molecules move due to their

inherent kinetic energy

The molecules will eventually reach an equilibrium where they are

evenly spread
 Diffusion relies on differences in concentration on either side of a
plasma membrane will form a concentration gradient these gradients
are vital in 1000s of cellular activities and biological systems

Once a gradient has been established it is a source of

potential energy

Facilitated Diffusion is the process large polar ionic molecules

or
whereby
are helped across the plasma membrane by protein channels
carriers

Eg Glucose amino acids and ions such as Nat kt and C1_

Factors Affecting the Rate of Diffusion

1 The steepness of the gradient the greater the

concentration
difference between the two regions the faster the rate
2 The Temperature the higher the temperature the greater the rate of
diffusion as the particles have more kinetic energy

3 The surface area available the larger the area of an exchange

surface the higher the rate of Diffusion

4 The Diffusion distance the thinner the exchange surface the higher
the rate of Diffusion

If the surface area to volume ratio is too small then it will have
negative consequences for the cell

1 The cell will not be able to gain enough oxygen and nutrients
needed for respiration
2 The cell will not be able to get rid of waste and toxins
quick enough before they build up to dangerous levels

What affects the rate of facilitated Diffusion

Number of channel or carrier proteins

But remember extremely high temps can denature these proteins rate
of Diffusion would therefore decrease
 Facilitated Diffusion Facilitated Diffusion
sion protein carrier protein channel
mediated mediated

Active Transport The transfer of molecules across a membrane via the

use of a protein pump from a region of lower conc
to one of higher conc
ActiveTransport requires energy which is supplied by the Hydrolysis of ATP

Many cells use AT to establish a concentration gradient that can then

be used as a source of energy

One such cell is the neurone which uses Not kt pumps to create an
uneven distribution of charge across its plasma membrane

stages of Active Transport outside to inside

1 The molecule or ion binds to a specific receptor inside the carrier

protein on the outside of the plasma membrane

2 ATP Binds to the carrier protein on the inside of the cell The ATP
is hydrolysed to form ADP Pi

3 This hydrolysis release energy which causes the carrier protein to change
shape opening up to the inside of the cell The molecule or ion is
released into the cell

4 Phosphate molecule Pi is released from the carrier protein and

recombines with ADP to reform ATP
5 Carrier protein returns to its original shape

Bulk Transport
Involves moving large quantities of materials across a membrane at the
same time

Two main types

Exocytosis Endocytosis

Both Processes are active

kinesin motor proteins use energy from the hydrolysis of ATP to

move the vesicles towards or away from the plasma membrane along
tracks formed by the cytoskeleton

There are two main types of endocytosis

Phagocytosis involves extensions of the plasma membranes

Pinocytosis involves an invagination of the plasma membrane

b
 In Both endocytosis mechanisms the materials taken in end up inside the
cell but not actually the cytoplasm they are isolated by the membrane
forming the vesicle

Endocytosis is often receptor mediated substances must bind to their

specific complementary extra cellular receptors before endocytosis will
occur

The cytoplasmic extensions are called pseudopodia false feet

Their formation and modification of shape is dependent upon cytoskeleton
rearrangement involving microfilament assembly and disassembly

Even the nucleus of a phagocyte is specially designed to accommodate

the engulfing of large pathogens Neutrophil

Phagocytosis creates an intra cellular structure known as a phagosome

a phagocytic vesicle

The phagosome combines with a lysosome to form a phagolysosome

The contents of the phagosome will be digested by the hydrolytic

enzymes found within the lysosome

At the end of the phagocytitic process exocytosis occurs to remove any

indigestible material

The secretory pathway is also an example of exocytosis

 Osmosis
The fatty acid tails of a phospholipid bilayer are non polar and are therefore
hydrophobic

Polar molecules such water are repelled by this hydrophobic

as interior
and cannot cross the plasma membrane by simple diffusion

Osmosis is a of facilitated diffusion It involves them.gg

special case ve
movement of water molecules down a gradient through special
protein channels in the plasma membrane known as aquaporins

SOLUTE SOLVENT SOLUTION

During osmosis solutions are trying to reach equilibrium the same

concentration on each side of a membrane

Solute molecules are too large to pass through the aquaporin

channels only water moves

Osmosis The net movement of water molecules from a region of

higher water potential dilute to a region of lower water
potential concentrated across a selectively Permeable
membrane

What is water potential

Water Potential Y is measured in hPa and is determined

by
two components
1 The solute Potential 4s Up
2 The pressure potential

Solute Potential How much solute is dissolved

Pure water has the highest solute potential Zero

Dissolved solutes will lower the solute potential making the value more
negative
Distilled Water hPa Highest Possible solutePotential
Weak solution the concentration decreases
strong solution 1 4 7 Increasing
the solute potential
 Hydrostatic Pressure

Water like any fluid is incompressable but can be subjected to pressure

eg by a rigid cellulose cell wall

tressure can also build due to the height of a column of water

Tressure potential is usually but not always positive

If water potential inside the

the tentiter cell is higher water moves Applies to Animal
moves in and the cell may out and the cell shrivels cells
burst cytolysis crenation

Applies to If water potential outside If water potential inside the

Playey the cell is high water moves cell is high water moves
in and the cell becomes out and the pen shrivels
turgid plasmolysis

Note Remember PAG 8.1 Potato Investigation