Cells & Molecules 2013

Week 2: Cell Biology II

Cell membranes and the cytosol
» The plasma membrane
» Membrane proteins
» The cytosol & endomembranes

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 Cell Membranes
Membrane Function
1. protecting the cell from the outside environment and
maintaining homeostasis
2. controlling the cell's cytoplasmic contents
3. sensing the environment

» The plasma membrane is selectively permeable

 some materials can cross without assistance & others can’t

Principles of Biology
 Membrane Structure
» Phospholipids arranged in a bilayer
» Globular proteins inserted in the lipid bilayer

» Fluid mosiac model

˃ mosaic of proteins floats in or on the fluid lipid bilayer (like boats on a
pond)

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 Cell Membranes
Frye and Edidin’s membrane fusion experiment

» Bilayers are fluid

» Hydrogen bonding of water
holds the 2 layers together
» Individual phospholipids
and unanchored proteins
can move through the
membrane
 Membrane Structure
Cellular membranes have 4 components
1. Phospholipid bilayer
 Flexible matrix, barrier to permeability
2. Transmembrane proteins
 Integral membrane proteins
3. Interior protein network
 Peripheral membrane proteins
4. Cell surface markers
 Glycoproteins and glycolipids
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 Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Permission required for reproduction or display.

Extracellular
Extracellular fluid matrix protein

Glycolipid
Carbohydrate

Cholesterol
Transmembrane
proteins
Peripheral

Fig. 6.5 (TEArt)

protein Cytoplasm Filaments of
cytoskeleton

Cells & Molecules 2012 R.W. Freeburn

» Both transmission electron microscope (TEM) and scanning
(SEM) used to study membranes
» One method to embed specimen in resin
˃ 1µm shavings
˃ TEM shows layers

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Ce
lls
&
Mo
lec
ule
s
20
8
12
R.
W.
9
 Cell Membranes
How do cells maintain correct membrane fluidity?
1. Lipids called sterols help membranes maintain
the necessary degree of fluidity.
 At low temperatures, the membrane could solidify,
which sterols prevent.
 At moderate temperatures, sterols hinder phospholipid
movement in the membrane.
2. Saturated fatty acids make the membrane less
fluid than unsaturated fatty acids
 “Kinks” introduced by the double bonds in unsaturated
fatty acids stop them from packing tightly 10
 Cell Membranes
How do cells maintain correct membrane fluidity?
Environmental influences
» Warm temperatures make the membrane more
fluid than cold temperatures
» Thermophilic organisms
 have more saturated fatty acids in their phospholipids,
which keep the membrane from becoming too fluid.
» Cold tolerant bacteria
 cell membranes have more unsaturated than saturated
fatty acid tails on their phospholipids
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 Membrane
» Various functions:
Proteins
1. Transporters
2. Enzymes
3. Cell-surface receptors
4. Cell-surface identity markers
5. Cell-to-cell adhesion proteins
6. Attachments to the cytoskeleton

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Membrane Proteins

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 Membrane Proteins
» Peripheral proteins
˃ Attached to the surface of the membrane
˃ Anchoring molecules attach membrane protein to surface

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 Membrane Proteins
» Peripheral proteins
˃ Attached to the surface of the membrane
˃ Anchoring molecules attach membrane protein to surface

» Integral membrane proteins

˃ span the lipid bilayer (transmembrane proteins)
˃ Transmembrane domain
+ Spans the lipid bilayer
+ Hydrophobic amino acids arranged in α helices

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 Integral Proteins
Domains of integral proteins

» Hydrophobic domains
(yellow) in the
transmembrane region
of an integral protein
stabilize it within the
lipid bilayer.
» Hydrophilic (red)
domains characterize the
protein’s structure
beyond the
transmembrane region
Principles of Biology
 Membrane Proteins
Pores
» Extensive nonpolar regions
within a transmembrane
protein can create a pore
through the membrane
» Cylinder of  sheets (b-barrel)
˃Interior is polar and allows water
and small polar molecules to pass
through the membrane

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 Movement Through Plasma Membranes

Membrane transport

» A cell must balance its inputs and outputs

of food, energy, and waste
» The plasma membrane serves as the cell's
principle structure to achieve that balance

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Principles of Biology
 Membrane transport
1. Diffusion
» concentration dependent
Passive Transport
2. Facilitated diffusion
» ‘assisted’ diffusion
3. Active transport
» transport AGAINST concentration gradient
» requires energy

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Diffusion results from constant motion
of molecules

Diffusion is movement of molecules from

high concentration to low concentration
Will continue until the concentration is the
same in all regions

2
0
 Membrane transport
Crossing the membrane
» Major barrier to crossing a biological membrane is
the hydrophobic interior that repels polar
molecules but not nonpolar molecules
» Nonpolar molecules will move until the
concentration is equal on both sides
» Limited permeability to polar molecules and ions

2
1
 Membrane transport
Facilitated diffusion
» Molecules that cannot cross membrane easily
may move through proteins
» Move from higher to lower concentration

1. Channel proteins
 Hydrophilic channel when open
2. Carrier proteins
 Bind specifically to molecules they assist
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2
 Membrane transport
1. Channel proteins
» Allow the passage of ions
» Gated channels – open or close in response to
stimulus (chemical or electrical)

2
3
 Membrane transport
2. Carrier proteins
» Must bind to the molecule they transport
 rate of transport limited by number of transporters

2
4
 Active Transport
» Requires energy – ATP
» Moves substances from low to high concentration
» Requires the use of highly selective carrier proteins

2
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 Active Transport
three types of transfers (all require energy)
» Uniport - transport of a
single type of molecule
down a concentration
gradient.
» Symport- pump molecules
in the same direction
» Antiport - pump
molecules in the opposite
direction

Principles of Biology
 Active
Transport

The
sodium-potassium
pump
 Membrane Transport

Osmosis

» Osmosis is a specialized form of diffusion

» net diffusion of water across a membrane
toward a higher solute concentration

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 Membrane Transport
Osmosis
» movement of water through a selectively permeable
membrane
» water molecules will aggregate around hydrophilic
solutes and bind to them
» Prevents water molecules from crossing a membrane
that is permeable to water but not to the solute
» Only water molecules free of solute can diffuse down
concentration gradient across the membrane until
solution concentration is equalized on both sides of 2
membrane 9
 30

Cells & Molecules 2012 R.W. Freeburn

 Cell Structure
Basic structural similarities
» All cells share 3 basic needs.
1. must separate their insides from the outside
 function of the plasma membrane.
2. must store information & pass it on to next
generation.
 function of DNA (nucleus)
3. must conduct the chemical processes of life.
 cytoplasm is the medium for chemical process in cell
 semifluid matrix inside cell 31
 Cell Structure
The cytoplasm
» semifluid matrix that fills interior of the cell
» contains the sugars, amino acids & proteins the
cell uses to carry out its everyday activities
» Jelly like consistency due to high concentration of
proteins & other macromolecules
» macromolecular structures in the cytoplasm
specialized for a particular function = organelle
» part of the cytoplasm that contains organic
molecules & ions in solution = cytosol
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