Biological Membranes Flashcards
Explain general properties of membranes, their functions, channels & association
What are primordial germ cells
Stem cells that make reproductive gametes
What did Hooke discover?
Cell theory
How are prokaryote types separated ?
By ribosomal RNA sequences
What are the types of prokaryotes?
Archaea, Eubacteria
Describe the characteristics of gram negative prokaryotes
Periplasmic space, thin layer of peptidoglycan
Describe gram positive bacteria
large layer of peptidogylcan
Give an example of gram positive bacteria
staphyloccal, streptococcaal
Give an example of gram negative bacteria
E.coli salmonella
What is a lysosome?
an organelle in the cytoplasm of eukaryotic cells containing degradative enzymes enclosed in a membrane
What charge do nuclei have?
Negative
What does fluorescence microscopy allow?
Visualisation of proteins and lipids in fixed cells
What cells have a specialised plasma membrane?
Rod and cone cells
What is the key role of phosphoinositides?
Responding to growth factors
What type of bonds does acetone form with water?
Electrostatic interactions
Why does acetone form electrostatic interactions with water?
It is polar
What type of bond does 2-methyl propane form with water and why?
none - non-soluble so forms a crystalline ice cage due to non-polarity
Name the features of epithelial cells
Highly organised cells, very motile, ALWAYS polarised, apical and basolateral domains, always exposed to environment
What is the function of white blood cells
secrete antibodies
What are acinar cells
exocrine cells of the pancreas
What is the function of acinar cells
secrete lots of digestive enzymes to assist with digestion of food
What are the properties of the Plasma membrane
Barrier and selectively permeable
What is the PM composed of
Lipids, proteins and carbohydrates
What carbohydrates is the PM composed of and how do they bond?
Glycoproteins and glycolipids that covalently link to proteins and lipids
What are oligosaccharides?
carbohydrates composed of a small number of monosaccharide units
How are phospholipids held together?
non-covalent forces; Van der Waals and hydrogen bonding
Why are phospholipids amphipathic?
polar head group and hydrophobic tail
What is the charge of phospholipids?
Neutral
Why do phospholipids have a neutral charge?
Choline is positively charged and phosphate has a negative charge
What are the four main membrane phospholipids?
Phosphatidyl-ethanolamine
Phosphatidyl-serine
phosphatidyl-choline
Sphingo-myelin
Which major membrane phospholipid has a negative charge?
phosphatidyl-serine
TRUE or FALSE - all major membrane phospholipids have a neutral charge except phosphatidyl-serine
TRUE
What form do fatty acid chains normally take in nature?
Cis
What forms the polar head group in phospholipids
choline
describe cis fatty acids
have kinks/bends so cant pack closely together
what is lacking in bacterial membranes
cholesterol and sphingomyelin
What do phospholipids form in aqueous solutions
micelles or bilayers - more energetically favourable
What is the structure of a liposome?
spherical structure of phospholipids arranged around a water molecule
What the applications of liposomes?
drug delivery into cells, DNA delivery and cosmetics
What phospholipid movement rarely occurs
flip-flop
Describe the effect of cholesterol on the membrane
increases fluidity at high temperatures and decreases permeability
What are tetraspanins?
scaffolding proteins
What is the function of tetraspanins?
Anchor multiple proteins to one area of the membrane, important in the immune system
Describe micro-domains
Joining of proteins and lipids, thicker than the rest of the bilayer, accumulation of proteins allows rafts to stick together
What are the types of phospholipid movement?
Lateral diffusion, flexion, rotation, flip-flop
Describe lateral diffusion
rotation or exchange in the lateral plane of the membrane
Which phospholipid movement is the most energetically favourable
lateral diffusion