Membranes and Osmosis Flashcards
What is the purpose of intracellular membranes?
Compartmentalisation. - Separates and organises enzymes and substances. - Ensure ideal conditions for reactions.
Explain the meaning of the fluid mosaic model.
Viscous layer of phospholipids and proteins moving around each other - Proteins RANDOMLY DISPERSED in layer. - It’s a model and-so is still a theory.
What is CH3
CH3 is a Methar group and is hydrophobic.
What are the 2 intrinsic proteins?
Channel and carrier proteins.
What word describes how different ends have different properties?
Amphipathic.
Why are the weak hydrophobic/philic interactions in phospholipid bilayers important?
They cause membrane fluidity and allow the membrane to break and reform in endo/exocytosis.
What causes substances to be unable to enter the membrane?
They’re polarity and size. Large and polar molecules struggle to enter cell.
What is the role of cholesterol?
Cholesterol increases the integrity and mechanical stability of the membrane, by pulling the heads and tails together by interacting with them. They only appear in animals and can also effect steroid hormones.
How thick is a phospholipid bilayer?
7.5nm
What holds phospholipids together?
weak interaction (associations)
Why do phospholipids form bilayers?
-Phospholipids are amphipathic, they have polar hydrophilic heads and non-polar hydrophobic fatty acid tails; the tails are repelled from aqueous solutions and-so are repelled by both the environment and the cytoplasm, causing the fatty acid tails to face each other.
Difference between intrinsic and extrinsic proteins:
Intrinsic proteins go through entire bilayer, whilst extrinsic only embed in one layer.
Describe a channel protein:
- Polar interior -> Hydrophilic and allows entry of polar solutions.
- Non-polar exterior-> Directly associates with fatty acid tails.
Membranes are ________ permeable.
Membranes are partially permeable.
Where are glycolipids and what do they do?
Glycolipids are attached to a glycoprotein and act as antigens or cell markers; They help with cell recognition, adhesion and act as a receptor and binding site for chemical signals, allowing for direct or cascade responses. (Open glycoprotein)
What type(s) of transport do carrier proteins operate?
Mostly Passive. Some use active transport, requiring ATP (energy) to change the shape of the substance.
What is diffusion?
Net movement of particles from a region of higher concentration to a region of lower concentration.
What is osmosis?
The diffusion of water across a partially permeable membrane,
What is Bulk transport?
Active movement of large molecules. (Endo/exocytosis)
What is Active transport?
Movement of molecules or ions into/ out of a cell up a concentration gradient.