Eukaryotic Cell - Cell Membrane (1) Flashcards
Introduction to Cell Membrane
Chemical studies on the cell membrane especially in human red blood cells ( erythrocytes) enabled the scientist to deduce the possible structure of cell membrane
Composition of cell membrane
Cell membrane is composed into Proteins and Lipids
Comment about Lipids and Bilayer
The major lipids are phospholipids that are arranged in bilayer
How are phospholipids arranged in bilayer?
the lipids arranged within the membrane are such that polar heads are towards outer side
and hydrophobic tails towards the inner part.
Why are they arranged in such a manner?
This ensures that the non polar tail of saturated hydrocarbons is protected from aqueous environment
More about Phospholipid
Cholestrol is present in phospolipid membrane
What did the biochemical investigation reveal about cell membrane?
cell membrane also posses protein and carbohydrates
The ratio of proteins and lipids
The ratio of protein and lipids varies considerably in different cell types
What about the ratio in Human Beings
membrane of an erythrocyte (RBC) has approximately 52 percent protein and 40 percent lipids.