paper 1: Transport Across Membranes Flashcards
what is the cell surface membrane sometimes known as
plasma membrane
what are the functions of the cell membrane
- it controls the substances that enter and leave the cells
- it holds the contents of the cell/ organelle in
- it allows different conditions to be established between the inside and outside of the cell/organelle
- the cell surface membrane only allows certain molecules through it, for this reason it is known as partially permeable
describe and explain how phospholipids are arranged in a cell membrane
the hydrophilic phosphate heads face inside and outside of the cell to stay in contact with water
the hydrophobic fatty acid tails in the middle of the membrane away from the water
what properties do phospholipids give a cell membrane
- make the membrane flexible
- allow lipid soluble substances to cross the membane
- prevent water soluble substances from crossing the membrane
why is the plasma membrane described as the fluid-mosaic model
fluid: molecules can move around within the layers of the membrane
mosaic: due to proteins embedded throughout the membrane
how does cholesterol effect a cell membrane
- it prevents the membrane being too fluid by restricting movement of other molecules
- this increases the rigidity of plasma membranes
what are the functions of proteins in cell surface membranes
- transport proteins
- enzymes
- antigens
- receptors
what do channel proteins do
form a channel to allow ions and polar molecules and large molecules to pass through the bilayer
what is the role of carrier proteins
- molecules bind specifically to carrier protein binding site
- protein changes shape to allow molecule through
- returns to normal once molecule has passed through
- normally needs energy from ATP to change shape
what kind of binding site do receptors have
specific and complimentary to the substance they respond to
describe antigens
- proteins which stick out of the cell membrane
- if they are proteins that your body does not make then they can be recognised as non self
- this triggers an immune response
what is the difference between a glycolipid and a glycoprotein
glycoprotein: carbohydrate bound to a protein
glycolipid: carbohydrate bound to a phospholipid
what are glycoproteins and glycolipids used for
receptors used in cell recognition
how does temperature effect cell membranes
- low temperatures can make membranes less fluid so membrane permeability becomes lower
- high temperatures make lipids more fluid so increase the membrane permeability
- the heat makes the molecules of the membrane vibrate as they have more kinetic energy. the higher the temp. the higher the vibration
- if the temperature is too high it causes too many vibrations which causes the membrane to rupture
define diffusion
the passive net movement of particles from a region of higher concentration to a region of lower concentration down a concentration gradient
what is passive transport
a transport process that does not require any extra energy from the hydrolysis of ATP