Cell Physiology Lecture 1 Flashcards
Cell Surface
the part of the cell that is exposed to the outside world
What three things do all cells have
- A plasma cell membrane which surrounds the cell surface
- Cell organelles which do tasks
- Interior of the cell which consists of the nucleus and the cytoplasm
Cell organelles: membrane-bound or _________________
non-membrane bound
What is the cytoplasm
The region outside the nucleus and is composed of cytosol which is a gel like fluid in which the cell organelles are suspended
The ___________ is the largest organelle in the cell
nucleus
What are the 4 functions of the plasma cell membrane?
- Physical barrier between the Intracellular fluids (ICF) and the extracellular fluids (ECF)
- Cell to cell communication
- Structural Support
- Transport
Plasma Membrane Function:
Physical Barrier between ICF and ECF
-Keeps organelles and proteins inside cell
-Maintains difference in ion composition between ICF and ECF
-Maintains homeostasis – things may change outside the cell but inside
remain constant
Plasma Membrane Function:
Cell-to-cell communication
-Contains receptors which bind signalling molecules
Plasma Membrane Function:
Structural Support
-Contains connections composed of proteins which anchor cells to each other or to extracellular materials
Plasma Membrane Function:
Transport
-Plasma membrane is selectively permeable- some substances may
simply move across the plasma membrane but most require specific transport proteins (transporters, carriers, channels etc.) to cross. It is therefore selectively permeable, allowing certain molecules to move across but not others.
Can cell organelles have membranes? What are they called?
Yes, they are called intracellular membranes
What is the cell/plasma membrane, and the intracellular membranes surrounding organelles composed of?
a double layer of lipid molecules with embedded proteins
What is the predominant lipid in the cell/plasma membrane, and the intracellular membranes?
The phospholipid
What are biological membranes that have the predominant lipid as phospholipids called?
Phospholipid Bilayers
Phospholipid Bilayer
2 layers of phospholipids with embedded proteins
2 Types of biological membranes:
-Cell/Plasma Membrane
-Membranes surrounding organelles
Biological Membrane lipids are:
amphipathic
amphipathic:
contains polar and none-polar regions
3 types of amphipathic lipids found in biological membranes
- Phospholipids
- Cholesterol
- Glycolipids
What composes the structure of a phospholipid?
- Polar head group
- Non-polar tail
Structure of a Phospholipid: Polar Head group
-Composed of phosphate attached to glycerol, a nitrogen-containing chemical group, and glycerol backbone
-Polar head group is hydrophilic (water-loving or dissolves in water)
Structure of a Phospholipid: Non-Polar tail
-Composed of 2 fatty acid chains composed of carbon and hydrogen atoms
-Fatty acid chains may be: saturated (no double bonds) or unsaturated
(containing 1 or more double bonds)
-Nonpolar tail is hydrophobic (water-fearing or does not dissolve in water)
What happens to phospholipids when you put them in water
-They spontaneously form a bilayer
-Polar heads face aqueous environment, either the ECF or ICF (REMEMBER DOUBLE-LAYERED SO CAN BOTH)
- Nonpolar tails form hydrophobic core
-Bilayer is the structure of the plasma membrane and the organelle membranes
Cholesterol
-Steroid Lipid
-Amphipathic
Polar/Nonpolar groups of cholesterol
Nonpolar: carbon-hydrogen rings and a carbon-hydrogen chemical group attached to one of the rings
Polar: hydroxyl group
Where is cholesterol found?
In the cell/plasma membrane
2 Functions of Cholesterol
-maintains proper membrane fluidity
-Very important part of plasma membrane: there is almost one molecule of cholesterol for each molecule of phospholipid in the cell/plasma membrane (organelle membranes contain very little cholesterol)
Glycolipids are lipids with ___________
CHO (carbohydrate) attached
Where are Glycolipids found?
On the outer leaflet of the plasma membrane (meaning the layer that faces the ECF)
Are Glycolipids Amphipathic? Why
Yes they are, due to the presence of sugar.
What do glycolipids do?
They form the glycocalyx
Glycocalyx
A layer of carbohydrates linked to lipids or membrane proteins
What are two types of proteins on the plasma/cell membrane?
Integral (Intrinsic)
Peripheral (Extrinsic)
Intrinsic Proteins
-Amphipathic
– inserted into phospholipid bilayer of plasma/cell membrane and partially span membrane or are transmembrane proteins (completely cross phospholipid bilayer of membrane)
-Penetrate the phospholipid bilayer
-Comprise the majority (70%) of all proteins
-Examples: transporters or channels
Extrinsic Proteins
-Not Amphipathic
-Attached at the outer or inner surface of the membrane, they do not penetrate into the phospholipid bilayer.
-Carbohydrates may be attached to proteins facing the extracellular surface of the
plasma membrane and these are called glycoproteins. They form the glycocalyx alongside with the glycolipids.
- Extrensic Proteins are distributed unequally between the two halves of the plasma membrane and this is related to the function of the protein.
Example highlighting the unequal distribution of extrensic proteins in the plasma membrane
A receptor in the membrane has binding sites facing the ECF, so signaling molecules may arrive at the cell and bind to the receptorsw. These binding sites do not face the inside of the cell.
Cell Junctions
Connections “bridges” that help connect, structurally support, and promote communication between cells.
Desmosomes
-Connections that secure cells together in tissues that are subject to considerable amount of stretching or mechanical stress. Like the heart muscle.
-Maintain Structural integrity of tissue
-Made of proteins called plaques, cadherins, intermediate filaments
Where are Plaques found in the cell
On the cytoplasmic surface of the cell (inner part of cell membrane).