Membrane Physiology

Structure of Plasma Membrane

Membrane Transport
Resting Membrane Potential
Action Potential

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 Functions of Cell Membrane

 Protective function: Cell membrane protects the cytoplasm and the

organelles present in the cytoplasm.

 Selective permeability: Cell membrane acts as a semipermeable membrane,

which allows only some substances to pass through it and acts as a barrier

for other substances.

 Absorptive function: Nutrients are absorbed into the cell through it.

 Excretory function: Metabolites and other waste products from the cell are

excreted out through the cell membrane.

 Exchange of gases: Oxygen enters the cell from the blood and carbon

dioxide leaves the cell and enters the blood through the cell membrane.

 Maintenance of shape and size of the cell: Cell membrane is responsible for
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the maintenance of shape and size of the cell.
 Structure of Plasma Membrane
 It is a sheet-like structure that surround (enclose) cell.
 It separates ECF from ICF. But it allows free exchange
of some substances between ECF & ICF (semipermeable).
 COMPOSITION OF CELL MEMBRANE
 Cell membrane is composed of 3 types of substances:

1. Proteins (55%)
2. Lipids (40%)-Phospholipids & Cholesterol
3. Carbohydrates (5%).

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Structure of Plasma Membrane

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 Structure of Plasma Membrane…
 PM is made of phospholipid bilayer.

-Polar heads (hydrophilic-water love)

-Non-polar tails (hydrophobic-water hate)
 Polar heads are facing to ECF & ICF
 Non polar tails are facing towards
interior surface of cell.
Non polar
 Non-polar tails in the middle of the tails

membrane makes selective permeable.

 Cholesterol is responsible for structural
integrity of lipid layer of the membrane Fig: Phospholipid bilayer
 Selective Permeability of Plasma
Membrane
Only fat (lipid)-soluble substances can pass through it.

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Selective Permeability of Plasma
Membrane…

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 Membrane Proteins
 Membrane Protein are classified into 2

categories:

1. Integral or Transmembrane proteins

2. Peripheral proteins

 Integral proteins : pass (penetrate) through

entire thickness of membrane from one side to

the other side.

 Serve as channels & transporters

 Serve as receptors for peptide hormones.

2. Peripheral proteins: attached only to one

Fig: Membrane Proteins
surface of the membrane (don’t penetrate)
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Serve as enzymes & structural proteins
 Membrane Carbohydrates

 Carbohydrates in the plasma

membrane are attached with
proteins & lipids as Glycoproteins
& Glycolipids.
 They are involved in cellular
recognition (cell identity
markers)= differentiate self cell
from foreign cell (danger cell).
 Serve as cell adhesion molecules
(cell to cell communication).

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 Transportation of Substances
 Substances are transported
through the cell membrane by:
1. Simple Diffusion
2. Facilitated Diffusion

3. Osmosis
4. Active Transport
5. Vesicular Transport

Fig: Transport Mechanisms

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Simple Diffusion

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Simple Diffusion…

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Simple Diffusion…

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Simple Diffusion…

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Facilitated Diffusion…

Fig: Saturation of carrier mediated transport

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 Osmosis

Osmotic Pressure-The pressure that

opposes osmosis.

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 Active Transport
 Substances are transported
against concentration
gradient (up hill direction).
 Used for the transport of
Na+ and K+, Ca2+
1. Primary Active Transport
 Carrier protein in involved
 Consumes energy directly
from ATP
 Carrier protein is antiport
Fig: Sodium – Potassium pump
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 Active Transport…
2. Secondary (Coupled) Active Transport
 Carrier protein is involved
 Consumes energy indirectly (from Na concentration difference)
 Carrier protein is Symport

Fig: Sodium-Glucose symport

 Active Transport…

Symporter -transports two molecules in the same direction.

Antiporter- transports two molecules in opposite directions.
Both symporters and antiporters use the energy stored in an
ion gradient
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Active Transport…

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 Transportation of Substances……
5. Vesicular (Bulk) Transport
 Movement of large molecules that cannot be transported by

carriers.

1. Endocytosis- (“Endo” means “in”)- taking in of molecules or

particles by invagination of the cell membrane forming a vesicle.

 Pinocytosis-cell drinking(liquid)

 Phagocytosis-cell eating (solid) eg. bacteria

2. Exocytosis: Exocytosis: (“Exo” means “out”.) This is where a cell

releases the contents of a vesicle outside of the cell.

 Vesicular transport requires energy supplied by ATP.

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 Endocytosis
Endocytosis is the taking in of molecules or particles
by invagination of the cell membrane forming a vesicle.

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 Phagocytosis
Phagocytosis is used to engulf large particles such as
food, bacteria by forming vesicle.

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Process of Phagocytosis

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 Receptor-Mediated Endocytosis

Some integral proteins have receptors on their surface

to recognize & take in hormones, cholesterol, etc.

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 Resting Membrane
Potential
&
Action Potential

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 Resting Membrane Potential (RMP)
 Resting Membrane Potential (RMP): is the voltage
difference (concentration) across plasma membrane at
resting cell.

 Resting Membrane Potentials is formed due to electrical

charge difference b/n ECF & ICF across cell membrane.

 Sodium and potassium are the most important ions

involved in the development of membrane potentials in
nerve & muscle cells

 The resting membrane potential of large nerve fibers when

not transmitting nerve signals is about –90 millivolts.
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 Causes of Resting Membrane Potential (-90 mV)

1. Permeability of Membrane to ions: plasma membrane is

more permeable to potassium than sodium (40 times)

 K+ leak out through K leak (open) channels

 Thus diffusion of potassium contributes far RMP

2. The Na+-K+ pump: constantly pumping 3 Na+ ions outward

and 2 K+ ions inward for every ATP used.

 More positive charge is leaving out of cell than entering into

cell.

3. Negatively charged non-diffusible proteins within the ICF that

cannot travel through the membrane.
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 All contribute to RMP (-90mv)
 Causes of RMP (-90 mv)

The inside of the cell is negative with respect to the outside.

The interior (inside) has less positive charge than the exterior .

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 Action Potential
 Action potential- is a rapid, reversible, and
conductive change of the membrane potential after
the cell is stimulated.
 Nerve signals are transmitted by action potentials.
 Depolarization–is opening of voltage gated Na+
channels→ Na+ influx in to the cell.
 Repolarization- is an opening of voltage gated K+
channels → K+ efflux out of the cell.

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Stages of Action Potential…

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 Basic Electrophysiological
Terms
 Polarization: a state in which membrane is polarized

at rest, negative inside and positive outside.

 Depolarization: the membrane potential becomes less

negative than the resting potential (close to zero).

 Repolarization: restoration of normal polarization

state of membrane from depolarized level.

 Hyperpolarization: the membrane potential is more

negative than the resting level.

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Action Potential Vs RMP

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 Propagation of Action Potential
 If an action potential started at any one point on an
excitable membrane, it usually excites adjacent
portions of the membrane resulting in propagation
of the action potential along the membrane.

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