How Temperatures Increases Membrane Permeability

Question 1

What happens to phospholipids and proteins at temperatures below 0 Degrees Celsius?

Answer 1

• Phospholipids don’t have much energy, so they can’t move much and are packed closely together, making the membrane rigid.

However

• Channel proteins and carrier proteins may deform, increasing the permeability of the membrane.

Question 2

What effect do ice crystals have on the membrane when temperatures are below 0 Degrees Celsius?

Answer 2

Ice crystals may form and pierce the membrane, making it highly permeable when it thaws

Question 3

At temperatures between 0 and 45 Degrees Celsius, how do phospholipids behave?

Answer 3

• Phospholipids can move around and aren’t packed tightly, resulting in a partially permeable membrane.

• Increased temperature gives phospholipids more energy - this increases the permeability of the membrane.

Question 4

What is the state of the membrane at temperatures above 45 Degrees Celsius?

Answer 4

The phospholipid bilayer starts to melt and the membrane becomes more permeable.

Question 5

What occurs to water inside the cell when temperatures exceed 45 Degrees Celsius?

Answer 5

Water inside the cell expands, putting pressure on the membrane.

Question 6

How do channel proteins and carrier proteins behave at temperatures above 45 Degrees Celsius?

Answer 6

They deform and cannot control what enters or leaves the cell, increasing the permeability of the membrane.