1.3 cell membranes and transport Flashcards
what are the factors affecting the rate of diffusion?
- temperature
- concentration gradient
- stirring/moving
- surface area
- distance/thickness
- size of molecule
osmosis definition
diffusion of water molecules that are FREE TO MOVE from an area of higher WATER POTENTIAL to a lower water potential through a selectively permeable membrane
what is water potential measured in?
kilopascals (kPa)
what is the water potential of pure water?
0 kPa
what is water potential defined as?
the tendency of water to leave a system by osmosis (due to the free-to-move water molecules)
(is the pressure exerted by water molecules that are free to move in a system)
is the cell cytoplasm’s water potential more positive or negative? why?
cell cytoplasm contains dissolved sugars, salts etc so water potential is more negative
describe a solution with a high water potential
it has a large number of water molecules that are free to move
hypotonic definition
one of two solutions with MORE free water and LESS solute
hypertonic definition
one of two solutions with LESS free water and MORE solute
what happens to an animal cell in a hypotonic solution?
- water will move down the water potential gradient into the cell
- will eventually burst (bc no cell wall)
- HAEMOLYSED
what happens to an animal cell in a hypertonic solution?
- water will move out of the cell
- the cell content shrinks and the membrane wrinkles
- FLACCID
what happens to a plant cell in a hypotonic solution?
- as water moves into the cell, the cytoplasm and vacuole will push against the cell wall, which will stop the cell getting any larger
- TURGID
what happens to a plant cell in a hypertonic solution?
- as water leaves the cell, the cytoplasm and vacuole shrinks and the plant cell membrane pulls away from the cell wall
- PLASMOLYSIS
what symbol is used to represent water potential and what is it called?
psi ψ
if the concentration of a solution is increased, what would happen to the water potential?
would decrease/become more negative
if the water potential on each side of a cell membrane is equal, what will be reached?
equilibrium
what term refers to a solution with the same water potential as cell cytoplasm?
isotonic
what is the cell membrane made up of?
almost entirely of proteins and phospholipids
what can phospholipida form? (that make them an important component of cell membranes)
bilayers, with one sheet of phospholipid molecules opposite another
in which direction does the inner layer of phospholipids have its hydrophillic heads pointing? (in the cell membrane)
what water does it interact with?
the inner layer of phospholipids has its hydrophilic heads pointing in, towards the cell, and interacts with the water in the cytoplasm
in which direction does the outer layer of phospholipids have its hydrophillic heads pointing? (in the cell membrane)
what water does it interact with?
the outer layer of phospholipid layers point outwards, interacting with the water surrounding the cell
where do the hydrophobic taila of the two phospholipid layers point? (in the cell membrane)
the hydrophobic tails of the two phospholipid layers point towards each other, to the centre of the membrane
what does the phospholipid component of a membrane allow across?
lipid-soluble molecules across, but not water-soluble molecules
what are the two ways in which proteins are embedded in the phospholipid bilayer of the membrane?
- extrinsic proteins
- intrinsic proteins
where are extrinsic proteins found in the membrane?
on either surface of the bilayer
what do extrinsic proteins provide?
structural support and from recognition sites, by identifying cells, and receptor sites for hormone attachment
where are intrinsic proteins found in the membrane?
extended across both layers of the phospholipid bilayer
(they span the membrane from one side to the other)
what do intrinsic proteins do in the membrane?
some are carriers, transporting water-soluble substances across and other allow active transport of ions across, by forming channels
what is the fluid-mosaic model?
a diagram that shows the way in which the phospholipids and proteins are arranged in the membrane
what does the phospholipid bilayer contain?
- extrinsic proteins
- intrinsic proteins
- glycolipids
- glycoproteins
- carrier proteins
- channel proteins
- cholesterol
why is the model of membrane structure called ‘fluid-mosaic’?
- lipid layer fluid/can move (fluid)
- the proteins embedded in the bilayer vary in shape, size and pattern (mosaic of protein molecules irregularly or randomly arranged) (mosaic)
why is cholesterol in the membrane?
- it makes the membrane more rigid anf stable
where are glycolipids and glycoproteins found in the membrane?
in the outer layer of the membrane
what is the carbohydrate layer around the membrane called?
the glycocalyx
chemically, what do phospholipids consist of?
glycerol bonded to two fatty acids and a phosphate group
why are cell membranes described as selectively permeable?
because the hydrophobic layer in the middle of thr bilayer is impermeable to polar and charged particles
(non-polar molecules like oxygen, co2 and fat-soluble vitamind dissolve in the hydrophobic layer and can cross the membrane by simple diffusion
are channel proteins hydrophobic or hydrophillic? therefore, what kind of particles can go through them?
they have hydrophilic R groups lining the space down the middle of the protein
these channels are specific to particular charged or polar particles and allow them to diffuse across the membrane in facilitated diffusion
what is the role of some proteins?
some proteins are specific receptors e.g for hormones or neurotransmitters
some are enzymes e.g ATP synthetase is an intrinsic protein embedded into the cristae of mitochondria
is simple diffusion a passive process?
yes
what is simple diffusion?
the movement of molecules or ions down a concentration gradient, until they are equally distributed
what molecules can diffuse by simple diffusion?
- small molecules
- lipid soluble molecules
- non-polar molecules
what are the two types of proteins used in facilitated diffusion?
- channel proteins
- carrier proteins
are carrier proteins specific to the molecule or ion that they transport?
yes
what is a glycoprotein?
when a protein has a carbohydrate attached, it is called a glycoprotein
(attached to protein)
what are glycolipids?
phospholipids attachrd to carbohydrates
(carbohydrate attached to lipid/phospholipid)
what is the glycocalyx mainly involved in?
cell to cell recognition
(all of the carbohydrates projecting outside of the cell are termed the glycocalyx)
why is the glycocalyx only found on the side of the bilayer that faces out of the cell?
it’s mainly involved in cell to cell recognition
where is cholesterol found in the membrane?
between fatty acid tails
what happens if there is not enough cholesterol in the membrane?
what happens if there is too much?
if there’s not enough cholesterol, the molecule becomes too fluid
if there’s too much, the membrane becomes too rigid
what are some examples of molecules that cross membranes by simple diffusion?
- oxygen
- carbon dioxide
- fat-soluble vitamins
is facilitated diffusion a passive process?
yes
what particles/molecules are transported across the membrane by facilitated diffusion?
- charged particles
- polar molecules
- large molecules
what is co-transport?
where two different particles are transported through the same protein at the same time
(eg glucose and Na+, which are transported into cells together)
in addition to increasing temperatures, what is the rate of facilitated diffusioj dependent on?
the number of protein carriers
is osmosis a passive process?
yes
is osmosis affected by respiratory inhibitors?
no
because respiratory inhibitors that inhibit ATP production do not affect passive transport methods
the higher the concentration of solute in a solution or cell, the ____ the water potential
lower
if glucose or ions are pumped or diffuse into a vell, what happens to the water potential of that cell?
it gets more negative/lower
what are some issues with using blood products in experiments?
- the risk that the blood coule be infected and this could be passed on
- blood clots when removed from
an animal
is there any net movement in an isotonic solution?
no
which of these water potentials is the highest? -650kPa, -800kPa, -750kPa, -700kPa
-650kPa
what does the water potential of solutions depend on?
- the solute concentration (solute potential)
- the pressure exerted on the solution (pressure potential)
(both water and solute potentials are negative values)
(pressure potential is always a positive value)
when it is not physically possible for any more water to enter the (plant) cell, what is thr water potential of the cell?
0
(thr solute potential and pressure potential cancel each other out)