Chapter 6: Lipids and Membranes Flashcards
What is diffusion and how does it occur?
Movement of any molecule down its concentration gradient. It occurs spontaneously without any energy
What is turgor pressure and why is it important to plans?
The pressure produced by water coming into a cell due to a hypotonic solution. The cell is able to be rigid and retain water
How does facilitated diffusion work?
Channel proteins or carrier provide a doorway for certain polar molecules and ions to pass
How does LDL get increased?
A diet high in saturated fats
What does increased HDL lead to?
More cholesterol excretion
How many sodiums are moved out of the cell and how many potassiums move in the cell in the sodium-potassium pump?
3 sodiums move out and 2 potassiums move in
What type of protein is a GLUT-1 transporter?
Carrier protein
Why are saturated fats solid at room temperature?
They can pack close together due to their linear structure
Which fats are considered “healthy” fats?
Unsaturated fats
How does an unsaturated fat differ from a saturated fat?
Unsaturated fats have one or more double bonds between C; there is one fewer H on each double-bonded carbon
What is active transport?
When energy is required
What characterizes a steroid?
A carbon skeleton with four fused rings
What causes cystic fibrosis?
Mutant CFTR channels (channel proteins). Chloride on inside can’t fill in the holes on the channels and the channels won’t be open so mucus accumulates outside the cell
How do cotransporters work?
They use the power of ions moving down their gradient to move a molecule against its gradient
What molecules can easily cross the selectively permeable membrane?
Small nonpolar molecules like hydrocarbons, CO2, and O2
What happens at equilibrium?
The ions on both sides are balanced and there is no net movement, but the ions still continue to move across
What are peripheral proteins?
Membrane proteins that are loosely bound to the surface of the membrane and often interact with exposed surface of integral proteins
Why are unsaturated fats liquid at room temperature?
They can’t pack as close together due to their bendy structure
What is the key characteristic that all lipids share?
Hydrophobic
What do double bonds between C in unsaturated fats cause the fatty acid chain to do?
Kink and bend in a different direction
What does hypotonic mean?
Less solutes are in the environment
How does a glycerol bind with a fatty acid?
Dehydration
What are aquaporins?
Channel proteins that allow water to flow through at an extremely high rate
How specific are cotransporters?
Very specific. Both molecules must be present for it to work
What is HDL?
High density lipoprotein. Removes LDL from the bloodstream. “Good” cholesterol
How often does the plasma membrane move?
It moves laterally 10^7 times per second
What influences membrane permeability?
Fatty acids of different lengths and saturation
What does isotonic mean?
The environment outside the cell is the same as inside
What are essential fatty acids and how do we get them?
Fatty acids we must get through our diet because our bodies don’t produce them. Omega 3s, Omega 6, Fish oil, etc.
How is it determined what can pass through a channel protein?
What amino acids are expressed
How does soap work?
Soap dissolves in water and orients themselves w the oil/grease, agitation separates oil from surface, and it is washed away in running water. It takes advantage of hydrophilic and hydrophobic
Which fats are solid at room temperature and which are liquid at room temperature?
Saturated are solid and unsaturated are liquid
How does a saturated fat differ from an unsaturated fat?
Saturated fats have no double bonds between C and have the most H atoms as possible
Which fats clog arteries and why?
Saturated fats because they can pack close together