Van der Waals interactions keep

the hydrophobic region in the

lipid bilayer stable
Liposomes
Planar artificial bilayers
What substances cross the
lipid bilayer?
 Permeability
• the tendency of a structure to allow a given
substance to pass across.
• Why is permeability important?
– Certain molecules or ions can pass through a lipid
bilayer more readily than others
– The internal environment of the vesicle can
become different from the outside.
How fast can some molecules
cross the membrane?
• Lipid bilayers are highly selective
– Selective permeability means that some
substances cross a membrane more easily than
others substances can.
• Small nonpolar molecules move across
bilayers quickly.
• Large molecules and charged substances
cross the membrane slowly.
– Sometimes they don’t cross at all.
 How fast can some molecules
cross the membrane?

Large molecules and charged molecules can’t pass through the

nonpolar hydrophobic tails of the lipid bilayer.
 What characteristics of phospholipids
affect the permeability of the cell
membrane?

• Type of hydrocarbons
– Saturated
– Unsaturated
– Poly-unsaturated
• The length of the hydrocarbon chain
 In a lipid bilayer membrane with
unsaturated phospholipids, the hydrophobic
part is less tight
Hydrophobic interactions become stronger
as saturated hydrocarbon tails increase in
length.

• Membranes compose of phospholipids

with long saturated tails are more stiff
and less permeable.
– The reason is that the interaction between
the tails are stronger.
Fluidity of the lipids depends
on the characteristics of their
hydrocarbon chain.
 What is another lipid that will
affect the permeability of the
cell membrane?
• amount of cholesterol affects the
permeability of the cell membrane
You make a phospholipid bilayer with short, saturated
hydrocarbon tails. You measure the permeability of this
membrane to oxygen. You then double the length of the
hydrocarbon tails, and re-measure membrane
permeability. You then double the length of the
hydrocarbon tails again, and make a third measurement
86%
of membrane permeability. You graph membrane
permeability as a function of hydrocarbon tail length.
Which of the graphs below best represents the data you
expect?

1. A A B C9% D
2. B 2% 2%
3. C
4. D
How cholesterol affects the
permeability of the
membrane
The phospholipid bilayer and
the movement of molecules
and ions across the cell
membrane
Diffusion, osmosis, tonicity.
The phospholipid bilayer is a
dynamic structure

• The movement
and fluidity of the
bilayer is affected
by temperature
and the
composition of
the membrane.
 Which of the following molecules would
be most likely to passively diffuse through
the plasma membrane of a cell?

56%
K+, Cl-, Na+)

A. Glucose B. Testosterone C. Ions D. Aspartic Acid

24%

1. A 13%
8%
2. B
3. C
4. D
1 2 3 4
How do molecules move across
the membrane?
• Solvent- the substance in which the solute
dissolves; it is usually found in a larger quantity.
• Solute- the component in a solution which
changes state upon dissolving; it is found in a
smaller quantity.
• Concentration gradient- the difference in solute
concentration between two areas
• Diffusion- spontaneous movement of molecules
from an area of high concentration to low
concentration (i.e., down a concentration
gradient).
 Diffusion

Both sides of the membrane are similar after diffusion.

 Osmosis
• Is the diffusion of water across a
selectively permeable membrane from a
region of high water concentration (low
solute concentration) to a region of low
water concentration (high solute
concentration).
 Some important terms
• Hypotonic- In comparing two solutions, referring
to the one with the lower solute concentration
(thus, higher water concentration).
• Hypertonic- In comparing two solutions, referring
to the one with the higher solute concentration
(thus, lower water concentration).
• Isotonic- Having the same solute concentration
(thus, same water concentration) as another
solution.
Osmosis
Effect of tonicity on the cell
 Which of the following statements
correctly describes the normal
tonicity conditions for typical plant
and animal cells?
20% 20% 20% 20% 20%

1. The animal cell is in a hypotonic solution, and the

plant cell is in an isotonic solution.
2. The animal cell is in an isotonic solution, and the
plant cell is in a hypertonic solution.
3. The animal cell is in a hypertonic solution, and the
plant cell is in an isotonic solution.
4. The animal cell is in an isotonic solution, and the
plant cell is in a hypotonic solution.
5. The animal cell is in a hypertonic solution, and the
plant cell is in a hypotonic solution.
 A cell whose cytoplasm has a concentration of 0.02
molar glucose is placed in a test tube of water
containing 0.05 molar glucose. 1) Which of the
following terms describes the tonicity of the external
solution relative to the cytoplasm of the cell? 2)
towards which direction will the20% 20% 20% 20% 20%
net movement of
water occur?

1. Hypertonic, towards the outside of the cell

2. Hypertonic, towards the inside of the cell
3. Hypotonic, towards the outside of the cell
4. Hypotonic, towards the inside of the cell
5. Isotonic, the net movement of water will be zero
1 2 3 4 5
 Celery stalks that are immersed in fresh
water for several hours become stiff and
hard. Similar stalks left in a salt solution
become limp and soft. From this we can
deduce that the cells of the
20% celery
20% 20%stalks
20% are
20%

1. hypotonic to both fresh water and the salt solution.

2. hypertonic to both fresh water and the salt solution.
3. hypertonic to fresh water but hypotonic to the salt
solution.
4. hypotonic to fresh water but hypertonic to the salt
solution.
5. isotonic with fresh water but hypotonic to the salt
solution. 1 2 3 4 5
Membrane proteins and the
fluid mosaic model
 Membrane Proteins
• Proteins can be amphipathic
• Because their R-groups range from
highly non-polar to highly polar.
• The nonpolar amino acids will be stable
in the hydrophobic region
• The polar or charge amino acids will be
stable alongside the polar heads.
 The role of proteins in the
movement of ions and other
molecules.

Facilitated diffusion
 How do membrane proteins
affect ions and molecules?

• Researchers have identified three broad

groups of transmembrane proteins.
– Channel proteins
– Transporters
– pumps
Let’s see again what happens to
ions in the membrane bilayer
Membrane channel protein are highly
selective and highly regulated
Membrane channel protein are highly selective
and highly regulated. (second example)
 Passive and facilitated
diffusion
• Passive transport:
– is produced by diffusion along an
electrochemical gradient.
– doesn’t require an expenditure of energy.
• Facilitated diffusion:
– is the passive transport of substances that
otherwise would cross a membrane.
Carrier proteins and facilitated
diffusion
• Facilitated diffusion can occur through
channel proteins or through carrier
proteins.
• Carrier proteins are also know as
transporters.
– They change their shape during the
process of facilitated diffusion.
 Active Transport

• The movement of substance across a

cell membrane against the
concentration of an electrochemical
gradient.

– with an expenditure of energy (ATP)

– specific transport molecules
 When a person eats iodine-rich foods, the
body sends most of the iodine to the thyroid
gland. Which of the following best describes
the transport of iodine to cells in the thyroid?
33% 33% 33%

1. Movement with a concentration gradient requiring no

energy or assistance
2. Movement with a concentration gradient, requiring no
energy, but requiring facilitation through a channel or
by a protein
3. Movement against a gradient, requiring active
transportation using energy 1 2 3