Lecture 2 Flashcards
What is the permeability of an artificial lipid bilayer?
impermeable to most water-soluble molecules (simple diffusion = very slow)
What is the permeability of a cell membrane lipid bilayer?
membrane transport proteins to transfer specific molecules (facilitated transport)
What is permeability?
movement via simple diffusion through lipid bilayer
- high conc. to low conc. (down conc. gradient)
- more hydrophobic or non-polar molecules (faster diffusion)
What are some examples of permeable molecules?
- small, nonpolar molecules (O2, CO2, N2, steroid, hormones)
- Small, uncharged polar molecules (only some like H2O, ethanol, glycerol)
What does impermeable molecules mean?
they require membrane transport proteins for transport
What are some examples of impermeable molecules?
- Large, uncharged polar molecules (except glucose)
- Ions (cannot pass through)
What kind of proteins are involved in membrane transport?
Transmembrane proteins, create a protein-lined path across the cell membrane, which transports polar and charged molecules
Why are transmembrane proteins involved in membrane transport?
- each transport protein is selective, by transporting a specific class of molecules
- different cell membranes have a different complement of transport proteins
What are the main types of membrane transport proteins?
Channel and transporter
How do channel proteins transport molecules?
- form transient interactions as solutes pass-through
- no conformational changes, open channels
- only allows a specific size and electric charge to pass
How do transporter proteins transport molecules?
- specific binding of solute
- series of conformational changes for transport
- solutes fit into binding sites
What is passive transport?
the movement of molecules across a cell membrane without the need for energy input, moving down their concentration or electrochemical gradient
What is a concentration gradient?
the difference in the concentration of a substance between two regions
How is a concentration gradient related to diffusion?
a factor in the process of diffusion, which is the movement of particles from an area of higher concentration to an area of lower concentration. This movement continues until equilibrium is reached, meaning that the concentrations become equal throughout the system
What is the electrochemical gradient?
concentration gradient + membrane potential
What is active transport?
process that moves molecules across a cell membrane from an area of lower concentration to an area of higher concentration. Requires energy, typically in the form of ATP.
What are channel proteins and what role do they play in passive transport?
integral membrane proteins that form hydrophilic pores across the cell membrane, allowing specific inorganic ions to pass through by transient interactions with channel walls. They facilitate passive transport, where substances move down their concentration gradient without the need for cellular energy
What are the two types of ion channels?
- non-gated ion channels (always open)
- Gated ion channel
What are the ways in which an ion channel can be gated?
- mechanically-gated (signal - mechanical stress)
- ligand-gated (extracellular ligand) (signal-ligand, neurotransmitter)
- ligand-gated (intracellular ligand) (signal - ligand, ion, nucleotide)
- voltage-gated (signal - change in voltage across membrane)
What is an example of a non-gated ion channel?
K+ Leak channels are always open, allowing K to move out of the cell. Plays a major role in generating resting membrane potential in plasma membrane of animal cells
What is a transporter protein?
binds to a specific solute and goes through conformational change to transport solute across the membrane
Which has a better rate of diffusion, transporter or channel proteins?
channel
What is a uniport?
a type of transporter that carries a single solute across the membrane. It facilitates the movement of molecules down their concentration gradient without the direct use of energy and does not require the co-transport of another solute
Is a uniport involved in active or passive transport?
passive transport down its electrochemical gradient, but the direction of transport is reversible
What is an example of a uniport?
glucose transporter, transports glucose down the concentration gradient, can work in either direction (glucose in or out)
Does a uniport work with one or multiple solutes?
one