Physiology Flashcards
What are the functional differences between cell types are due to?
Variations in the composition of their plasma membranes - Different cells interact in different ways with essentially the same ECF
Two main components of membranes?
Lipids and proteins
Describe the glycerol background of phospholipids?
Two hydroxyl groups of which are esterified to various fatty acids (maybe saturated or unsaturated)
The third glycerol hydroxyl group is esterified
to a phosphate group which is attached to a head
group
What determines the thickness of the bilayer?
Length of the fatty acid chains (2-3nm).
What does the head group determine?
How densely packed adjacent phospholipid molecules are
What can dissolve phospholipids?
Detergents
What does cholesterol do?
Aids in rigidity
Constantly flip flops
T or F: The phospholipid composition of the two leaflets of the plasma membrane are identical
False
What is permeable to phospholipid layers?
Small uncharged polar molecules
E.g. O2, CO2, NH3, water
What is impermeable to phospholipid layers?
Almost any water-soluble substance
E.g. ions, proteins, and sugars
T or F: phospholipid layers is responsible for the fluidity of the membrane
True
Eg: RBC, skeletal muscle cell
T or F: phospholipids contain more lipids than proteins
False
Lipids
What are peripheral membrane proteins?
Not embedded within the membrane, instead they adhere tightly to the cytoplasmic or extracellular surfaces of the PM
What are integral membrane proteins?
Intimately associated with the lipid bilayer
What are the three different ways integral membrane proteins present themselves?
Span the lipid bilayer once or several times: transmembrane proteins
Some are embedded but do not cross the bilayer
Some are linked to a lipid component of the membrane or a fatty-acid derivative that intercalates into the membrane
Functions of integral membrane proteins
Ligand-binding receptors - hormones
Adhesion molecules - cadherins, integrals
Pores and channels - nerve cell (gated/leak channel)
Carriers
Pumps
Enzymes - carbonic anhydrase
Intracellular signalling - GTP binding proteins, kinases
What are dock-marker receptors?
Located on the inner membrane surface
Interact with secretory vesicles leading to exocytosis of the vesicle contents
Glycoproteins + glycolipids = ?
Glycocalyx
Cancer is an example of..
Abnormal surface marker
Role of carbohydrates?
Self-recognition
Cell-to-cell interactions
Two properties that influence whether a particle can
permeate the plasma membrane without assistance?
Solubility of the particle in lipid
Size of the particle
T or F: A Pathway and a driving force is required for movement across a membrane (applies for assisted or unassisted)
True
T or F: If impermeable diffusion will still takes place across the membrane even if a concentration gradient for that substance exists
False
Law’s of Fick’s diffusion
The magnitude of the concentration gradient
The larger the SA the greater the rate of diffusion it can
accommodate
The greater the lipid solubility the more rapidly the substance can diffuse through the membrane bilayer
down its concentration gradient
As molecular weight increases, the rate of diffusion will decrease
The greater the distance, the slower the diffusion
What is an example of a channel where diffusion takes place across?
Ion-specific channel proteins: Leak or gated