Membranes + Transport Flashcards
What are the 3 main functions of a plasma membrane?
-control the transport of substances in and out of the cell.
-To act as a receptor site to recognise chemicals which need to enter the cell or organelle.
-To separate off the cell from the environment
What type of lipid is found in cell membranes?
Phospholipids
What does it look like when phospholipids are arranged in a bilayer?
.
Diffusion and osmosis are passive processes what does this mean
Do not require energy in the form of ATP
What is simple diffusion?
Where molecules that are small enough and/or non polar can diffuse rapidly across the phospholipid bilayer
What is the definition of diffusion?
Movement of substances from a region of their higher concentration to a ego on of their lower concentration- movement of molecules down a concentration gradient.
What is dynamic equilibrium?
Where the particles are evenly spread, although still moving
What factors affect the rate of diffusion?
-surface area
-thickness of exchange surface
-concentration gradient
-size of diffusing molecule
-temperature
-water solubility/polarity
What is facilitated diffusion?
helps molecules diffuse through the membranes. requires channel adn carrier proteins.
What does a graph for simple diffusion look like?
.
Why does the graph on facilitated diffusion level off?
As all of the carrier proteins are occupied at any one time. Number of carrier/channel proteins are limiting.
What is osmosis?
the movement of water molecules from an area of high water concentration to an area of low water concentration through a partially permeable membrane.
What is active transport?
-movement against a concentration gradient.
-requires energy
-needs specific protein caries/pumps
-moves charges polar molecules
-not passive
What is exocytosis?
Exporting material in vesicles
What does facilitated diffusion diffuse?
Moves charges/ polar/ hydrophobic substances (channels for ions; carriers for other.)