cell membrane and transport Flashcards
two types of cell membrane
cell surface membrane and membrane around the organelles
cell membrane size
7nm thick
functions of cell membrane
- Controls movement of substances in and out of the cell
the function of the phospholipid bilayer
Semi-permeable
The barrier to water-soluble substances
Allows passage of lipid-soluble substances
proteins and phospholipid form
hydrogen bond with water for stability
proteins and glycoproteins are used for
cell recognition
proteins function
- transport proteins
- enzymes
- cytoskeleton
- cell to cell adhesion
- cell signalling
- cell recognition
What makes up the biomembrane?
- Phospholipids
- Cholesterol
- Proteins
- Carbohydrates – in glycoproteins and glycolipids
another name for cell membrane
biomembrane
Fluid
phospholipids and protein molecules are able to move about and diffuse sideways within its monolayer
Mosaic
proteins scattered within the membrane
What can cross the phospholipid bilayer?
- Oxygen
- Carbon dioxide
- Uncharged / non-polar molecules
- Small molecules
- Traces of water
- Lipid soluble substances
hydrophilic head in phospholipid
made of glycerol attached to PO4 [hydrophilic due to the presence of phosphate group[polar]
hydrophobic tail in phospholipid
made of 2 fatty acid chains [nonpolar)
how do the hydrophobic tails and hydrophilic heads in phospholipid help in a cell membrane
This allows the phospholipids to form a membrane around the cell; 2 rows of phospholipids arranged with their hydrophilic heads in watery solution on either side of the membrane and middle hydrophobic tails forming a layer impervious to water.
individual phospholipid molecules can move in
the monolayer through diffusion
is the hydrophilic exterior head of a phospholipid polar or nonpolar
it’s polar
is the hydrophobic interior tail of a phospholipid polar or nonpolar
its non polar
Some phospholipid tails are unsaturated
with double bond
more unsaturated makes it more
fluid [unsaturated FA’s are bent [KINK]so they fit together more loosely]
The longer the fatty acid tail,
, lesser the fluidity
fluidity is affected by
1) length of a fatty acid tail
2) the number of unsaturated fatty acids
3) cholesterol
4) temperature
how does the length of a fatty acid affect fluidity?
shorter the tails, more the fluidity [longer tails will make more intermolecular interactions, thus less fluidity]
how does the number of unsaturated fatty acids affect fluidity?
more the number of unsaturated fatty acids, more the fluidity