cell membranes Flashcards
Why are sodium ions important in the transport of glucose from the ileum into the blood?
Sodium ions diffuse from the lumen of the ilium into the intestinal epithelial cells down their concentration gradient through a sodium glucose co transporter protein.
At the same time, the co transporter carries glucose into the epithelial cell against its concentration gradient.
Glucose is then able to diffuse into blood from the epithelial cell
What are the factors affecting the rate of facilitated diffusion?
The concentration gradient
The number of channel or carrier proteins (once all the proteins in a membrane are in use, facilitated diffusion can’t happen any faster)
describe the role of cholesterol in a cell membrane
membrane stability
fits between the phospholipid, restricting movement
binds to hydrophobic tails of phospholipids, causing them to pack more closely together
maintain shape of animal cells
contains hydrophobic regions so it can create a barrier to polar substances
why is the molecules in a membrane structure described as the fluid mosaic model?
- phospholipds constantly moving
- proteins scattered through the bilayer
What is the difference between isotonic/hypotonic & hypertonic?
Isotonic - same water potential
Hypotonic - solutions with a higher water potential compared with the inside of the cell (water moves into the cell)
Hypertonic - solution with a lower water potential (water moves out of cell)
What is diffusion?
Diffusion is the net movement of particles (molecules or ions) from an area of high concentration to lower concentration down a concentration gradient
What do channel, carrier and receptor proteins do?
They allow large molecules and ions to pass through the membrane
The receptor proteins allow the cell to detect chemicals released from other cells
What are the factors affecting the rate of osmosis?
water potentail gradient (higher, faster)
thickness of exchange surface (thinner, faster)
surface area of exchange surface (larger, faster)
How do you lower the water potential of pure water (0) ?
Adding solutes to pure water lowers its water potential
The water potential of any solution is always negative
The more negative the water potential, the stronger the concentration of solutes in the solution
What is the structure of phospholipids?
Hydrophilic head (attract water- faces outwards)
Hydrophobic tail (repels water - faces inwards)
what is the difference between a glycoprotein and a glycolipid
glycoproteins : proteins + carbohydrates
glycolipids : carbohydrates+ lipids
Factors affecting the rate of diffusion
The concentration gradient (higher it is, faster the rate)
The thickness of the exchange surface (thinner, faster the rate)
The surface area (larger,faster)
What is osmosis?
Osmosis is the diffusion of water molecules across a partially permeable membrane, from an area fo high water potential to an area of low water potential
What is facilitated diffusion?
This is the process where large, charged molecules diffuse through the bilayer through carrier and channel protein
How do co transporters transport substances?
They bind two molecules at a time. The concentration gradient of one molecule is used to move the other molecule against its concentration gradient
