Chapter 3 Flashcards
Cells
Basic, living, structural, and functional units of the body.
What are the three main parts of a cell?
Plasma membrane, cytoplasm, and nucleus.
Plasma membrane
Form the cell’s flexible outer surface, separating the cell’s internal environment from the external environment. It is a selective barrier that regulates the flow of materials into and out of a cell. Plays a key role in communication among cells and between cells and their external environment.
Fluid mosaic model
Model used to describe plasma membrane. According to this model, the molecular arrangement of the plasma membrane resembles a continually moving sea of fluid lipids that contain a mosaic of many different proteins.
Lipid bilayer
The basic structural framework of the plasma membrane; two back-to-back layers made up of three types of lipid molecules.
What are the three types of lipids molecules that make up the lipid bilayer?
Phospholipids, cholesterol, and glycolipids.
Phospholipids
About 75% of the plasma membrane lipids; lipids that contain phosphorus.
Cholesterol
About 20% of the plasma membrane lipids; a steroid with an attached –OH (hydroxyl) group.
Glycolipids
About 5% of the plasma membrane lipids; lipids with attached carbohydrate group.
The bilayer arrangement occurs because the lipids are ______ molecules, meaning _______.
Amphipathic; they have both polar and nonpolar parts.
How are the phospholipids arranged in the bilayer arrangement?
The polar part of phospholipids is their phosphate containing “head” which is hydrophilic. The nonpolar part are the two fatty acid “tails”, which are hydrophobic. Because “like seeks like”, the phospholipid molecules arrange themselves in the bilayer with their hydrophilic heads facing outwards, towards the watery fluid on either side - cytosol or ECF. The hydrophobic tails in each half of the bilayer point toward one another.
Cholesterol molecules are ______ amphipathic.
Weakly.
What are the two types of membrane proteins?
Integral proteins and peripheral proteins.
Integral proteins
Membrane proteins that are firmly embedded in the membrane, and extend into or through the lipid bilayer. Integral proteins are amphipathic.
Transmembrane proteins
Membrane proteins that span the entire lipid bilayer and protrude into both the cytosol and extracellular fluid. Most integral proteins are transmembrane proteins.
Glycoproteins
Membrane proteins with carbohydrate group attached to the ends that protrude into the extracellular fluid. Many integral proteins are glycoproteins.
Glycocalyx
Sugary coat formed by the carbohydrate portions of glycolipids and glycoproteins. The pattern of carbohydrates in the glycocalyx varies from one cell to another. Therefore, the glycocalyx acts like a molecular “signature” that enables cells to recognize one another. Eg. A white blood cells ability to detect a “foreign” glycocalyx is one basis of the immune response that helps us destroy invading organisms.
Peripheral proteins
Membrane proteins that are not firmly embedded in the membrane. They are attached to the polar heads of membrane lipids or to integral proteins at the membrane’s inner or outer surface.
What are the six membrane functions?
Ion channels, carriers, receptors, enzymes, linkers, cell identity markers.
Ion channels
Pores or holes that specific ions can flow through to get into or out of the cell. Most ion channels are selective, as they allow only a single type of ion to pass through.
Carriers
AKA transporters; selectively move a polar substance or an ion from one side of the membrane to the other.
Receptors
Serve as cellular recognition sites. Each type of receptor recognizes and binds a specific type of molecule. Eg. Insulin receptors bind to the hormone insulin.
A specific molecule that binds to a receptor is called a ______ of that receptor.
Ligand.
Enzymes
Catalyze specific chemical reactions at the inside or outside surface of the cell.
Linkers
Anchor proteins in the plasma membranes of neighbouring cells to one another or to protein filaments inside and outside the cell.
What are the two roles of cell identity markers?
Enable a cell to 1.) recognize other cells of the same kind during tissue formation or 2.) recognize and respond to potentially dangerous foreign cells. Eg. The ABO blood type markers – when you receive a blood transfusion, the blood type must be compatible with your own, or red blood cells may clump together.
Why are membranes fluid structures?
Membrane fluidity is an excellent compromise for the cell; a rigid membrane would lack mobility, and a completely fluid membrane would lack the structural organization and mechanical support required by the cell.
What are the two components of cytoplasm?
Cytosol and organelles
Nucleus
Is a large organelle that houses most of the cell’s DNA. Within the nucleus, each chromosome contains thousands of genes that control most aspects of cellular structure and function.
Selectively permeable
A property in which plasma membranes permit some substances to pass more readily than others. Transmembrane proteins that act as channels and carriers increase the plasma membrane’s permeability to a variety of ions and uncharged polar molecules that cannot cross the lipid bilayer unassisted.
The lipid bilayer portion of the plasma membrane is ______ permeable to nonpolar molecules such as oxygen (O2), carbon dioxide (CO2), and steroids; ______ permeable to small, uncharged polar molecules, such as water and urea (a waste product form the breakdown of amino acids); and _______ to ions and large, uncharged polar molecules, such as glucose.
Highly, moderately, impermeable
Concentration gradient
Is a difference in the concentration of a chemical from one place to another, such as from the inside to the outside of the plasma membrane.
Electrical gradient
A difference in electrical charges between two regions.
Typically, the inner surface of the plasma membrane is more ______ charged and the outer surface is more ______ charged.
Negatively, positively.
Membrane potential
A difference in electrical charges across the plasma membrane.
Electrochemical gradient
The combined influence of concentration gradient and the electrical gradient on movement of a particular ion.
Passive processes
Movement of a substance down a concentration gradient until equilibrium is reached; do not require cellular energy in the form of ATP.
Diffusion
Movement of molecules or ions down a concentration gradient due to their kinetic energy until they reach equilibrium.
What five factors influence the diffusion rate?
Steepness of the concentration gradient, temperature, mass of the diffusing substance, surface area, and diffusion distance.
How does steepness of the concentration gradient influence the diffusion rate?
The greater the difference in concentration between the two sides of the membrane, the higher the rate of diffusion.
How does temperature influence the diffusion rate?
The higher the temperature, the faster the rate of diffusion.
How does mass of the diffusing substance influence the diffusion rate?
The larger the mass of the diffusion particle, the slower its diffusion rate.
How does surface area influence the diffusion rate?
The larger the membranes surface area available for diffusion, the faster the diffusion rate.
How does diffusion distance influence the diffusion rate?
The greater the distance over which diffusion must occur, the longer it takes.
Simple diffusion
Passive movement of a substance down its concentration gradient through the lipid bilayer of the plasma membrane without the help of membrane transporter proteins.
Facilitated diffusion
Passive movement of a substance down its concentration gradient through the lipid bilayer by transmembrane proteins that functions as channels or carriers.
Channel-mediated facilitated diffusion
The process in which a solute moves down the concentration gradient across the lipid bilayer through a membrane channel. Most membrane channels are ion channels. Each ion can diffuse across the membrane at only certain sites.
In typical plasma membranes, the most numerous ion channels are selective for ______ or ______; fewer channels are available for ______ or ______.
K+ (potassium ions), Cl- (chloride ions), Na+ (sodium ions), Ca2+ (calcium ions).
When is a channel said to be gated?
A channel is said to be gated when part of the channel proteins acts as a “plug” or “gate” changing shape in one way to open the pore and in another way to close it.
Carrier-mediated facilitated diffusion
The process in which a carrier (AKA a transporter) moves a solute down its concentration gradient across the plasma membrane. Eg. Glucose, the body’s preferred energy source for making ATP, enters many body cells by carrier mediated facilitated diffusion.
Transport maximum
The number of carriers available in a plasma membrane which places an upper limit.
What happens once all the carriers are occupied?
Once all carriers are occupied, the transport maximum is reached, and a further increase in the concentration gradient doesn’t increase the rate of facilitated diffusion.
Can the transport maximum be elevated?
Yes. Eg. Using the glucose example from before - the hormone insulin, via the action of the insulin receptor, promotes the insertion of many copies of glucose transporters into the plasma membranes of certain cells. Thus, the effect of insulin is to elevate the transporter maximum for facilitated diffusion of glucose into cells.
Osmosis
Passive movement of water molecules across a selectively permeable membrane from an area of lower solute concentration to an area of higher solute concentration.
Aquaporins (AQPs)
Integral membrane proteins that function as water channels. AQPs play a critical role in controlling the water contents of cells. AQPs are responsible for producing cerebrospinal fluid, aqueous humor, tears, sweat, saliva, and urine concentration.
Hydrostatic pressure
The pressure exerted by water in a fluid (Eg. Water molecules in blood) against a neighbouring structure (Eg. Against the walls of blood vessels).
Osmotic pressure
Force exerted by a solution with an impermeable solute. The higher the solute concentration, the higher the solution’s osmotic pressure.
Tonicity
A measure of the solution’s ability to change the volume of cells by altering their water content.
Isotonic solutions
Any solution in which a cell maintains its normal shape and volume
Hypotonic solution
A solution that has a lower concentration of solutes than the cytosol inside a cell.
Hemolysis
The swelling and rupturing of cells, due to water molecules entering the cells faster than they leave. The rupture of cells due to placement in a hypotonic solution is referred to simply as lysis. Pure water is very hypotonic and causes rapid hemolysis.
Hypertonic solutions
A solution that has a higher concentration of solutes than the cytosol inside a cell.
Crenation
The shrinkage of cells, due to water molecules moving out of the cells faster than they enter.
Active processes
Movement of substances against a concentration gradient; requires cellular energy in the form of ATP.
Active transport
An active process in which energy is required for carrier proteins to move solutes across the membrane gradient.
What source is used to drive primary active transport?
Energy obtained from hydrolysis of ATP.
What source is used to drive secondary active transport?
Energy stored in an ionic concentration gradient.
Primary active transport
Active process in which a substance moves across the membrane against its concentration gradient by pumps (carriers) that use energy supplied by hydrolysis of ATP.
Pumps
Carrier proteins that mediate primary active transport.
What is the most prevalent primary active transport mechanism?
The most prevalent primary active transport mechanism expels sodium ions (Na+) from cells and brings potassium ions (K+) in. Because of the specific ion it moves, this carrier is called the sodium potassium pump. Because a part of the sodium-potassium pump acts as ATPase, and enzyme the hydrolyzes ATP, another name for this pump is Na+-K+ pump.
Secondary active transport
In secondary active transport, a carrier protein simultaneously binds to Na+ and another substance and then changes its shape so that both substances cross the membrane at the same time.
Symporters
When the transporters move two substances in the same direction in secondary active transport.