1.3 Flashcards
Who proposed the fluid mosaic model
Singer and Nicolson in 1972
What does the fluid mosaic suggest (2 marks)
biological membranes consist of phospholipid bilayers with proteins embedded in the bilayer, making the membrane look like a mosaic
what is a triglyceride made up of
on glycerol and three fatty acids
what is a phospholipid
a lipid where one of the fatty acids has been replaced by a phosphate group
what is the phosphate head described to be
hydrophilic - water loving
what are fatty acids described to be
hydrophobic because they are non-polar
what is the structure of a phospholipid
two fatty acids, one glycerol and a phosphate head attached
what do you call a molecule that is both hydrophilic and hydrophobic
amphipathic molecule
Name 5 different types of proteins that occur in the membrane
Channel
carriers
receptors
recognition
enzymes
What is a channel protein
a protein that has a pore channel that allows passive transport of substances between the inside and outside of the cell
what is a carrier protein
proteins that bind to substances on one side of the membrane and then change shape to transport them to the other side
carrier proteins that use energy to change shape are termed protein pumps
what is a recognition protein
a protein that helps the cell in differentiating between self and non self - important for immune response
what is a receptor protein
proteins that span the whole membrane to relay information from the inside or outside of the cell
what is an enzyme
proteins that enhance the rate of reactions that happen at the membrane level
what two other things are part of the cell membrane
cholesterol and glycolipids
what are glycolipids
a phospholipid and a carbohydrate attached together
they maintain structure of the cell membrane and
cells differentiating between self and non-self cells
what is cholesterol
a steroid and is only found in animal cell membranes - vital for maintaining the structure of the cell membrane
where are glycolipids and glycoproteins located on the cell membrane
on top of the phosphate heads
where is cholesterol located in cell membranes
inside the cell membrane
where are integral proteins located
throughout the entire membrane width
where are peripheral proteins located
at the top or bottom
what is cholesterol made up of
a non polar part comprising of four ring structures, a hydrocarbon tail and a polar hydroxyl group
what type of molecule in terms of water is cholesterol
amphiphatic - allowing it to insert itself into cell membranes by interacting with phospholipids
how does cholesterol control membrane fluidity and permeability
cholesterol restricts movement, reducing membrane fluidity,
at low temperatures, it also disrupts the regular packing of hydrocarbon tails, preventing solidification, enabling the membrane to be more fluid
also reduces permeability to hydrophilic molecules and ions such as sodium and hydrogen