Cell Membrane Flashcards
Know all components of the plasma membrane
What is the purpose of the plasma membrane?
To surround and separates the cell from the environment.
What are the key features of plasma membrane?
- Composed of mostly lipids and proteins
- Controls movement in + out of the cell
- Provides structural support
- Interacts with the environment
- Separates fluids into separate compartments (Extracellular fluid + intracellular fluid)
ECF
Extracellular Fluid:
Composed of water and dissolved chemicals outside of the cell
Blood, lymph & interstitial fluid
high in Na+, Ca++, Cl- (salt, calcium, chlorine)
ICF
Intracellular Fluid= fluid inside cells –> Cytosol
- high in K+ (potassium), amino acids + nucleic acids
usually negative in charge to ECT
What is the Endomembrane system?
ECF + ICF
Membranes within the cell to separate it into different parts.
Components of Plasma Membrane
Phospholipid Bilayer
brief summary
- 2 layers of phospholipids
- 40% of the biological membrane
Most important structural part
Is amphilic
Components of Plasma Membrane
Amphilic
definition, components, placement
=hydrophillic + hydrophobic
1 hydrophillic head w/ phosphorus
- inside layer sticks in to tough water inside the cell
- outside layer sticks out to touch water ouside the cell
2 hydrophobic tails
- attracts hydrophonoc
- faces towards the other layers hydrophobic tails
- between the 2 bilayers
Components of Plasma Membrane
Cholesterol facts
=Steroid
* 10% of the plasma membrane
* % varries between cells
* +makes the membrane more rigid, - makes it less permeable to water
Components of Plasma Membrane
Pollysaccarides
Types of them.
What is it?
Pollysaccarides stick out of cells acting as a signal to other cells for indentification.
1. Glycolipids
2. Glycoproteins
3. Glycolax
Components of Plasma Membrane
Glycolipids
- pollysaccharide
- lipids bound to carbs
Components of Plasma Membrane
Glycoproteins
- pollysaccaride
- proteins bound to carbs
Components of Plasma Membrane
Glycolax
A layer of pollysaccharides on the outside of the cell
Components of Plasma Membrane
Proteins
Name the proteins in the plasma membrane
- peripherial membrane proteins
- integral membrane proteins
- transmembrane proteins
- receptor proteins
- structural proteins
Proteins in the plasma membrane make up 50%
Peripherial Membrane Proteins
Not in the phospholipid bilayer - Attached to the edge
Integral Membrane Proteins
Partially penetrate or span across
Transmembrane Proteins
Touches the ECF + ICF by going through the membrane
extracellular fluid + intracellular fluid
Receptor Proteins
Direct elements outside the cell
Transport Proteins
Move things between the ECT + ICF
Structural Proteins
Connects to the cytoskeleton inside the cell + extracellular matrix inside the cell
Diffusion
What is it? What does it do?
Diffusion moves solutes from high to low concentrations
* doesn’t need energy - actually releases
* happens naturally + spontaneously
* leads to equillibrium
* solutes move with gradient
Solute
chemical disolved in water
Concentration
amount of solute disolved in a given amount of water
Dilute
Lower concentration
Concentration Gradient
definition + attributes
The concentration between inside and outside of the cell
* happens across the plasma membrane
* has energy
* bigger difference in solutes leads to more energy
Homeostasis
definition + attributes
Homeosasis maintains the difference in concentration between the inside + outside of the cell
* NOT equilibrium = death for living cells
* Requires energy
What affects the rate of diffusion in the plasma membrane?
and how do they affect the membrane?
- +concentration gradient = +rate
- +membrane thickness = -rate
- +surface area = +rate
- +temp = +rate
- +molecules = -rate
- +permeability = +rate
Osmosis
How water moves across membranes following salt.
* diffusion of water
* only way the body can move water across membranes
* the body uses energy to move salt from one side of membrane
Semipermiable membrane
Membrane that allows some chemicals to pass.
- solutes that can pass will diffuse
Tonicity
The total concentration of solutes that can’t diffuse.
Hypotonic
Occurs when there are fewer solutes outside than inside the cell.
water moves in –> cell swells (could explode)
hypo = water loving
Hypertonic
Occurs where there’s more solutes outside than inside the cell.
Water leaves the cell –> cell shrinks
hyper = out
Isotonic
Occurs when the same solutes are in and outside the cell
- no water movement
Iso = still
Passive Transport
Occurs when solutes move / diffuse from high to low concentration.
* requires no energy
Active Transport
Occurs when solutes move from low to high concentrations.
Requires E
Simple Diffusion
What is it? What does it diffuse? What doesn’t diffuse?
Occurs when solutes move through the phospholipid bilayer.
Hydrophobic molecules that can pass:
* lipids + steroids
* gas - oxygen + carbon monoxide
* small polar molecules: water + ethanol (moves slowly)
Molecules that can’t pass:
* ions
* sugars
* amino acids
* proteins
Facilitated Diffusion
Occurs when solutes move though a transport protein passively.
Transport Proteins
Definition + types
Transmembrane proteins that chemicals can pass through - pumps
1. Channel Proteins
2. Carrier Proteins
Channel Proteins
Transmembrane proteins (pumps) that only do facilitated diffusion.
Pumps
A general form of carrier proteins that do facilitated diffusion.
Carrier Proteins
Definition
Responsible for transporting protins though ficilitated diffusion and active transport.
Need to change in shape when moving something
Carrier Proteins: Process
bind chain on one side –> push through membrane –> release on the other side
1. Form (active transport) a hole in the plasma membrane for certain chemicals to diffuse
2. Facilitated diffusion occurs in the pumps
Glucose Transporter
(GLUT)
Type of carrier protein that does facilitated diffusion of glucose in and out of the cell.
Uniport
Involves 1 protein channel
Cotrasport
Process of moving 2 chemicals across the membrane.
Symport
Process of moving 2 chemicals in the same direction.
Antiporter
Process of moving chemicals in the opposite direction.
Aquaporin
Protein channel that allows water to pass.
Ion Channels
Channels for ions to pass, specific to the type of ion.
Channel Proteins
Types + responsibilities
- Leak channels - always open + leaking chemicals
- gated channels - only respond to stimulus (Chemical, mechanical force, voltage change)
Primary Active Transport
Definition + users
When carriers to use ATP as energy and can only be done by pumps.
1. Proton pump - ATP moves from H+ from low to high
2. Sodium Potassium (Na+K+) Pump - ATP moves 3 Na+ out of the cell, 2 K+ in.
* extracellular fluid moves Na+, intracellular fluid moves K+
Secondary Active Transport
Definition + Process
When energy is aquired to allow Na+ to diffuse into the cell
1. Primary active transport created Na+ gradient (Energy is present)
2. Let Na+ diffuse into the cell and uses energy to move another chemical from low to high concentration (Energy is released)
Sodium Glucose Transporter
(SGLT)
What does it do?
- Na+K+ pumps create a gradient with high Na+ outside the cell
- SGLT lets Na+ back into the cell, energy is used to pull glucose in too
Membrane Potential
Definition + attributes
The difference in charge between two sides of the membrane.
1. membrane potential is maintained by opening and closing ion channels
* ions flow in or out of the cell changing the charge on either side
* different channels = different effects on membrane
Channels that affect the plasma membrane & how
- Open Na+ or Ca++ = Move Na+&Ca++ into the cell = more positive
- Open K+ = Move K+ into the cell = more negative
- Open Cl- = Move Cl- into the cell = more negative
Electrochemical Gradient
Definition
The difference in chemical concentrations and electrical charge across the membrane.
Effectors of Electochemical Gradient
- ions = charge
- ^ cations (+) outside the cell = ouside ECF creates a positive charge relative to the outside – inside the cell will have a negative charge relative to outside
Voltage
Definition
Units used to measure potential
Membrane Potential
= inside charge - outside charge
* usually negative
* at rest
Vesicular Transport
Occurs when substances move in + out of the cell with vesicles.
Exocytosis
What is it? What is the process?
A type of vesicular transport.
Occurs when a vesicle goes up to the plasma membrane, merges with the membrane, and releases substances outside the cell.
Endocytosis
What is it? What is the process?
A type of vesicular transport.
Occurs when part of the membrane pinches off and forms a vesicule, this process pulls substances from outside the cell into it.
What are the other types of endocytosis occur in cells?
List them
- Pinocytosis
- Receptor-Mediated Endocytosis
- Phagocytosis
Pinocytosis
A non-specific process that pulls small substances outside of the cell (like taking a sip).
Receptor-Mediated Endocytosis
Endocytosis of certain specific chemicals - something specific bonds to a receptor.
Phagocytosis
Phago = eat
Occurs when a lysome merges with a vesicle and releases what’s inside.
Ex: large molecules, baterial cells, dead tissue
ECM
Definition and functions
Extracellular Matrix is a mesh of macromolecules and ions outside the cell that gives structure to the tissue.
* holds the cell in place
* gives tissues their characteristics (stretch, shape, etc.)
* has lots of connective tissue
* is secreated by the cell
* attaches to membrain proteins to hold it in place
Cell Junctions
A combination of membrane proteins + other proteins that connect cells to others on the ECM. These connections between cells hold them together, they can be long lasting or transmit/ transient.
CAMs
Cell Adhesion Molecules are transmember proteins that attach to molecules outside of the cell on the ECM. BUT large protein complexes inside the cell attach to CAMs on the cytoskeleton.
Gap Junction
Small membrane channels that are attached to cells for small substances to pass between cells, ions + chemical signals.
Tight Junctions
Protein complexes that hold cells closely together so substances can’t pass between cells.
Desmosomes
Structures where 2 cells are attached inside by intermediate fillaments to create a sheet of cells inside and outside.
Substances can still pass between cells.