Dr Pradeep Kumar

Professor, Physiology
KGMU
The Plasma Membrane – a Phospholipid
Bilayer
Components of Plasma Membrane

Lipids ~50% Proteins ~50%

1) Phospholipids 1) Peripheral
(75%)
(Associated)

2) Cholesterol 2) Integral
(20%)
(Membrane Spanning)

3) Glycolipds 3) Glycoproteins
(5%)
 Isolate the cell’s contents from the ex-
ternal environment

 Regulate traffic in and out of the cell

 Communicate with other cells

The phospholipid bilayer

1. Impermeable to water-soluble and polar mole-

cules, ions

2. Permeable to small and nonpolar molecules

3. Lipids oriented with polar heads facing out

 tails
(hydrophobic)

head
(hydrophilic)
 extracellular fluid
(watery environment)

phospholipid hydrophilic
heads

hydrophobic
tails

bilayer

hydrophilic
heads

cytoplasm
(watery environment)
 Membranes are “fluid mosaics” with
proteins embedded in or attached to
the membrane

 Proteins can move within the fluid lipid

bilayer
 extracellular fluid (outside)

recognition protein receptor protein transport protein

binding site
phospholipid
carbohydrate bilayer

phospholipid cholesterol

protein filaments
cytoplasm (inside)
1. Transport proteins

◦ regulate the movement of water-soluble

molecules across the membrane

 Ion Channel proteins, Pumps, Recep-

tors

 Carrier proteins, Enzymes, Cell ad-

hesion Molecules
2. Receptor Proteins

◦ trigger cellular response when

specific molecules bind to them

Nervous system

Endocrine system
 Passive transport is a function of
molecular size, lipid solubility, and
size of the concentration gradient

1. Simple diffusion
 2 Dye molecules
diffuse into the 3 Both dye molecules
1 A drop of dye is water; water and water molecules
placed in water. molecules diffuse are evenly dispersed.
into the dye.

drop of dye

pure water
(a) simple diffusion

(extracellular fluid)

(cytoplasm)
Passive transport…(cont.)

◦ 2. Osmosis
• a. Isotonic
• b. Hypertonic
• c. Hypotonic
 10 micrometers
(a) isotonic solution (b) hypertonic solution (c) hypotonic solution

equal movement of water net water movement net water movement

into and out of cells out of cells into cells
Passive transport…(cont.)

◦ 3. Facilitated diffusion
(b) facilitated diffusion through a channel
proteins forming
permanent
ions hydrophilic channel

channel
protein
(c) facilitated diffusion through a carrier
amino acids,
sugars,
small proteins (extracellular fluid)

carrier
protein (cytoplasm)
Carrier protein
has binding Molecule en- Carrier protein changes Carrier protein re-
ters binding shape, transporting molecule sumes original
site for mole- across membrane.
site. shape.
cule.
Energy-requiring transport

1. Active transport
• Ion gradients and energy pro-
duction

2. Endocytosis
Primary Active Transport: The Na+/K+ Pump

Antiport
 Secondary Active
(Indirect):

e.g.,

Na+/Glucose transporter

Symport
(extracellular fluid)

transport protein

recognition ATP ATP Transport protein uses Transport protein

binding Transport protein resumes original
site energy from ATP to
site binds ATP and
Ca2+ change shape and move shape.
(cytoplasm) Ca .
2+
ion across membrane.
(a)

pinocytosis
(extracellular fluid)

1
3
2

vesicle containing
extracellular
(cytoplasm) fluid

cell (b)
phagocytosis
food particle

pseudopod
1 2 3

particle
enclosed in vesicle
Thank You