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AS Biology CIE Your notes
4.1 Fluid Mosaic Membranes

Contents
4.1.1 T he Fluid Mosaic Model
4.1.2 Components of Cell Surface Membranes
4.1.3 T he Cell Surface Membrane
4.1.4 Cell Signalling
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4.1.1 The Fluid Mosaic Model

Your notes
The Fluid Mosaic Model of Membranes
Membranes are vital structures found in all cells
The cell surface membrane creates an enclosed space separating the internal cell environment
from the external environment, and intracellular membranes form compartments within the cell
such as the nucleus, mitochondria and RER
Membranes do not only separate different areas but also control the exchange of material
across them, as well as acting as an interface for communication
Membranes are partially permeable
Substances can cross membranes by diffusion, osmosis and active transport
Cellular membranes are formed from a bilayer of phospholipids which is roughly 7nm wide and
therefore just visible under an electron microscope at very high magnifications
The fluid mosaic model of the membrane was first outlined in 1972 and it explains how biological
molecules are arranged to form cell membranes
The fluid mosaic model also helps to explain:
Passive and active movement between cells and their surroundings
Cell-to-cell interactions
Cell signalling
Phospholipids
Phospholipids structurally contain two distinct regions: a polar head and two nonpolar tails
The phosphate head of a phospholipid is polar (hydrophilic) and therefore soluble in water
The lipid tail is non-polar (hydrophobic) and insoluble in water
If phospholipids are spread over the surface of water they form a single layer with the hydrophilic
phosphate heads in the water and the hydrophobic fatty acid tails sticking up away from the
water
This is called a phospholipid monolayer
A phospholipid monolayer
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If phospholipids are mixed/shaken with water they form spheres with the hydrophilic phosphate
heads facing out towards the water and the hydrophobic fatty acid tails facing in towards each
other Your notes
This is called a micelle
A micelle
Alternatively, two-layered structures may form in sheets
These are called phospholipid bilayers – this is the basic structure of the cell membrane
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Your notes
A phospholipid bilayer is composed of two layers of phospholipids; their hydrophobic tails facing
inwards and hydrophilic heads outwards
Phospholipid bilayers can form compartments – the bilayer forming the cell surface membrane
establishing the boundary of each cell
Internally, membrane-bound compartments formed from phospholipid bilayers provide the basic
structure of organelles, allowing for specialisation of processes within the cell
An example of a membrane-bound organelle is the lysosome (found in animal cells), each
containing many hydrolytic enz ymes that can break down many different kinds of biomolecule
These enz ymes need to be kept compartmentalised otherwise they would breakdown most of
the cellular components
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Your notes
Membranes formed from phospholipid bilayers help to compartmentalise different regions of the cell
Structure of membranes
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The phospholipid bilayers that make up cell membranes also contain proteins
The proteins can either be intrinsic (or integral) or extrinsic (peripheral)
Intrinsic proteins are embedded in the membrane with their arrangement determined by their Your notes
hydrophilic and hydrophobic regions
Extrinsic proteins are found on the outer or inner surface of the membrane
The fluid mosaic model describes cell membranes as ‘fluid’ because:
The phospholipids and proteins can move around via diffusion
The phospholipids mainly move sideways, within their own layers
The many different types of proteins interspersed throughout the bilayer move about within it
(a bit like icebergs in the sea) although some may be fixed in position
The fluid mosaic model describes cell membranes as ‘mosaics’ because:
The scattered pattern produced by the proteins within the phospholipid bilayer looks
somewhat like a mosaic when viewed from above
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The distribution of the proteins within the membrane gives a mosaic appearance and the structure of
proteins determines their position in the membrane
Your notes
Exam Tip
You must know how to draw and label the fluid mosaic model, as well as ensure that you can
describe why the membrane is called the fluid mosaic model.
An example of the diagram you could draw
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4.1.2 Components of Cell Surface Membranes

Your notes
Phospholipids, Cholesterol, Glycolipids, Proteins & Glycoproteins
The cell membranes of all organisms generally have a similar structure
Cell membranes contain several different types of molecules:
Three types of lipid:
Phospholipids
Cholesterol
Glycolipids (also containing carbohydrates)
Two types of proteins:
Glycoproteins (also containing carbohydrates)
Other proteins (eg. transport proteins)
Phospholipids:
Form a bilayer (two layers of phospholipid molecules)
Hydrophobic tails (fatty acid chains) point in towards the membrane interior
Hydrophilic heads (phosphate groups) point out towards the membrane surface
Individual phospholipid molecules can move around within their own monolayers by diffusion
Cholesterol:
Cholesterol molecules also have hydrophobic tails and hydrophilic heads
Fit between phospholipid molecules and orientated the same way (head out, tail in)
Are absent in prokaryotes membranes
Glycolipids:
These are lipids with carbohydrate chains attached
These carbohydrate chains project out into whatever fluid is surrounding the cell (they are
found on the outer phospholipid monolayer)
Glycoproteins:
These are proteins with carbohydrate chains attached
These carbohydrate chains also project out into whatever fluid is surrounding the cell (they
are found on the outer phospholipid monolayer)
Proteins:
The proteins embedded within the membrane are known as intrinsic proteins (or integral
proteins)
They can be located in the inner or outer phospholipid monolayer
Most commonly, they span the entire membrane – these are known as transmembrane
proteins
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Transport proteins are an example of transmembrane proteins as they cross the whole
membrane
Proteins can also be found on the inner or outer surface of the membrane, these are known as Your notes
extrinsic proteins (or peripheral proteins)
Exam Tip
Make sure you can draw and label all the above structures on a diagram of the fluid mosaic model
of cell membranes.You can use an annotated diagram to state the functions of the above
structures.
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4.1.3 The Cell Surface Membrane

Your notes
Cell Surface Membranes
Phospholipids
Form the basic structure of the membrane (phospholipid bilayer)
The tails form a hydrophobic core comprising the innermost part of both the outer and inner layer
of the membrane
Act as a barrier to most water-soluble substances (the non-polar fatty acid tails prevent polar
molecules or ions from passing across the membrane)
This ensures water-soluble molecules such as sugars, amino acids and proteins cannot leak
out of the cell and unwanted water-soluble molecules cannot get in
Can be chemically modified to act as signalling molecules by:
Moving within the bilayer to activate other molecules (eg. enz ymes)
Being hydrolysed which releases smaller water-soluble molecules that bind to specific
receptors in the cytoplasm
Cholesterol
Cholesterol regulates the fluidity of the membrane
Cholesterol molecules sit in between the phospholipids, preventing them from packing too
closely together when temperatures are low; this prevents membranes from freez ing and
fracturing.
Interaction between cholesterol and phospholipid tails also stabilises the cell membrane at
higher temperatures by stopping the membrane from becoming too fluid
Cholesterol molecules bind to the hydrophobic tails of phospholipids, stabilising them and
causing phospholipids to pack more closely together
Cholesterol also contributes to the impermeabilty of the membrane to ions and increases
mechanical strength and stability of membranes; without it membranes would break down and
cells burst
Glycolipids & glycoproteins
Glycolipids and glycoproteins contain carbohydrate chains that exist on the surface (the
periphery/extrinsically), which enables them to act as receptor molecules
This allows glycolipids and glycoproteins to bind with certain substances at the cell’s
surface
There are three main receptor types:
signalling receptors for hormones and neurotransmitters
receptors involved in endocytosis
receptors involved in cell adhesion and stabilisation (as the carbohydrate part can form
hydrogen bonds with water molecules surrounding the cell
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Some act as cell markers or antigens, for cell-to-cell recognition (eg. the ABO blood group
antigens are glycolipids and glycoproteins that differ slightly in their carbohydrate chains)
Your notes
Proteins
Transport proteins create hydrophilic channels to allow ions and polar molecules to travel
through the membrane. There are two types:
channel (pore) proteins
carrier proteins
Each transport protein is specific to a particular ion or molecule
Transport proteins allow the cell to control which substances enter or leave
Exam Tip
Membranes become less fluid when there is:
An increased proportion of saturated fatty acid chains as the chains pack together tightly
and therefore there is a high number of intermolecular forces between the chains
A lower temperature as the molecules have less energy and therefore are not moving as
freely which causes the structure to be more closely packed
Membranes become more fluid when there is:
An increased proportion of unsaturated fatty acid chains as these chains are bent, which
means the chains are less tightly packed together and there are less intermolecular forces
At higher temperatures, the molecules have more energy and therefore move more freely,
which increasing membrane fluidity
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4.1.4 Cell Signalling

Your notes
Cell Signalling
Cell signalling is the process by which messages are sent to cells
Cell signalling is very important as it allows multicellular organisms to control / coordinate their
bodies and respond to their environments
Cell signalling pathways coordinate the activities of cells, even if they are large distances apart
within the organism
The basic stages of a cell signalling pathway are:
A stimulus or signal is received by a receptor
The signal is converted to a ‘message’ that can be passed on – this process is known as
transduction
The ‘message’ is transmitted to a target (effector)
An appropriate response is made
The basic stages of a cell signalling pathway

Transmission of messages in cell signalling pathways requires crossing barriers such as cell
surface membranes
Cell surface membranes are therefore very important in signalling pathways as the membrane
controls which molecules (including cell signalling molecules) can move between the internal
and external environments of the cell
Signalling molecules are usually very small for easy transport across cell membranes
Typically in cell signalling pathways, signalling molecules need to cross or interact with cell
membranes
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Ligands
Signalling molecules are often called ligands Your notes
Ligands are involved in the following stages of a cell signalling pathway:
Ligands are secreted from a cell (the sending cell) into the extracellular space
The ligands are then transported through the extracellular space to the target cell
The ligands bind to surface receptors (specific to that ligand) on the target cell
These receptors are formed from glycolipids and glycoproteins
The message carried by the ligand is relayed through a chain of chemical messengers inside
the cell, triggering a response
The role of ligands in a cell signalling pathway
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AS Biology CIE Your notes

4.1 Fluid Mosaic Membranes

4.1.1 The Fluid Mosaic Model

An example of the diagram you could draw

4.1.2 Components of Cell Surface Membranes

4.1.3 The Cell Surface Membrane

4.1.4 Cell Signalling

The basic stages of a cell signalling pathway

The role of ligands in a cell signalling pathway

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