Membrane Dynamics Flashcards
What is selectively permeable?
The plasma membrane
What does amphipathic mean?
It has hydrophilic and hydrophobic properties (phospholipid)
Lipids and proteins move how?
Laterally
If the fluidity of a membrane is too slow?
Things get stuck and the proteins no longer work
If the fluidity of a membrane is too fast?
Lose organization and efficiency
What are the main types of proteins suspended in the membrane?
Intergral membrane proteins
Transmembrane proteins
Peripheral proteins
Membrane fluidity is affected by?
Temperature
Unsaturated vs saturated hydrophobic tails of phospholipids
Presence of cholesterol
What are the functions of membrane proteins?
Transport
Enzymatic activity
Signal transduction
Cell-cell recognition
Intercellular joining
Attachments to the cytoskeleton/ECM
What does the selectivity of a membrane depend on?
The lipid bilayer and the transport proteins
What is osmosis?
The diffusion of water across its concentration gradient
What is diffusion?
The spreading out of molecules (high concentration to low)
What is osmoregulation?
The control of solute and water within cells
