Membrane Flashcards
Permeability differences between capillaries and cell membranes
Capillaries have increased permeability and cell membranes have decreased permeabilities
Are proteins found in the interstitial fluid?
No. If proteins are found here, pathology is likely in the plasma. Albumin is found in the interstitial fluid.
Ionic composition in the plasma
Mostly Na+ and Cl-.
Small amounts of HCO3- and proteins.
Ionic compounds in the interstitial fluid
Mostly Na+ and Cl-
Small amounts of HCO3-
Albumin
Ionic compounds in the intracellular fluid
High levels of K+, Miscellaneous phosphates, and proteins Small amounts of Na+, HCO3- and Cl-
What ionic compound is found in the plasma and intracellular fluid but not the interstitial fluid?
Proteins
Why should Ca2+ be maintained at a low level in the cell but not outside the cell?
Needs to be at low levels inside the cell. If calcium is high intracellularly, it can be damaging.
Homeostasis chemical signals control and regulate
Absorption, secretion, and regulation by negative and positive feedback. The majority of reactions inside the cell are negative feedback.
Primary example of positive feedback
Head of fetus pushes against cervix, nerve impulses from the cervix are transmitted to the brain, the brain stimulates the pituitary gland to secrete oxytocin, oxytocin is carried in the bloodstream to the uterus, oxytocin stimulates uterine contraction and pushes fetus towards cervix.
Dehydration occurs when
There is a loss of water in the extracellular fluid, resulting in an increased level of NaCl. This causes water to flow out of the cell, into the extracellular fluid and decreases the volume of all cells.
Edema
Increase in rate of fluid filtration out of a capillary bed exceeds the ability of lymphatic to return to vascular system.
Symptoms of heat stroke/dehydration
Confusion/disorientation
Do elderly patients and babies dehydrate easily or not?
They both dehydrate easier. The amount of water in an elderly person (above 60) is much lower than an adult. If pt is taking a diuretic (urinates more often) they will also loose water quicker.
Babies have much smaller reservoirs of water than adults do. Therefore, it is depleted quicker.. especially when battling illnesses that deplete water rapidly.
In what direction can lipids of a phospholipid bilayer move
Lipids can move horizontally, but cannot move vertically to the other side of the phospholipid bilayer.
Terminal sugars on lipid bilayer membrane
Anacetylglucosamine or sialic acid. both have negative charge.
Factors in determining the resting membrane potential
Water, ions, phospholipid membrane, and proteins. Also, movement across the membrane also determines the potential.
Examples of molecules that the lipid bilayer is permeable to
Oxygen, CO2, steroids.
Permeable to water as it flows through aquaporins.
Gradient levels across the plasma membrane
O2, Na+, CO2 and K+
There is more O2 and Na+ outside the cell
There is more CO2 and K+ inside the cell.
(This is what creates the electrochemical gradient)
Diffusion
Random mixing of particles in a solution as a result of the particle’s kinetic energy.
Molecules move away from an area of high concentration to an area of low concentration. Temperature, concentration, size, surface are and distance all have an effect.
- Increase temp, increase diffusion
- Smaller the molecule, faster the diffusion EXCEPT large lipophilic molecule will diffuse through membranes quicker than small polar molecules
- Increase surface area/volume, increase diffusion
- Distance and diffusion are inverse. Smaller the distance, quicker the diffusion.
Osmosis is facilitated by what
Channel proteins called aquaporins. Aquaporin expression and insertion into the membrane varies among cell types. These are especially important in the kidney.
Osmolarity
The total solute concentration of a solution
1 osmol is equal to
1 mol/liter of solute particles
Ex: a liter of solution containing 1 mol of glucose has a concentration of 1 osmol per liter where a liter of solution containing 1 mol of NaCl contains 2 osmol of solute per liter.
Higher the osmolarity, ___ the water concentration
Lower
Brownian motion
Random mixing of particles in a solution as a result of the particles kinetic energy.
The greater the difference in concentration the ___ the rate of diffusion
Greater
An increase in surface area ___ the rate of diffusion
Increases
Equilibrium has been reached when
The molecules are evenly distributed
Diffusion rate increase in proportion to the
Square of the distance over which the molecules diffuses
The major factor limiting diffusion across a membrane is
The hydrophobic interior of its lipid bilayer. Molecules are a thousand to a million times slower than the diffusion rates of the same molecules through a water layer of equal thickness.