The cell membrane Flashcards
What is the meaning of amphiphatic?
Molecule consisting of hydrophobic and hydrophilic parts.
What is the effect of cholesterol in a warm temperature?
Cholesterol will decrease membrane fluidity as it restrains movement of phospholipids make it more rigid.
What is the effect of cholesterol in a cool temperature?
Maintains membrane fluidity by preventing tight packing of phospholipids.
What affects membrane fluidity?
Length and saturation of fatty acids. Increase in fluidity would be due to decrease in fatty acid chain length and increase in saturation.
What are some functions of membrane proteins?
Transporters of ions/small molecules, cell adhesion molecules, receptors.
How are functional regions within the plasma membrane formed?
Binding of extracellular domains to extracellular matrix and receptor of neighbouring cells/proteins. Binding of cytoplasmic domains to cytoplasmic proteins/cytoskeleton.
What are lipid rafts?
Small specialised discrete area in membranes. Mainly rich in sphingolipids and cholesterol.
What is functional polarisation?
Organisation of domains/regions with different functions.
How do you segregate proteins and lipids?
By formation of lipid rafts, binding of proteins to extracellular domains, neighbouring cells.
What is talin?
Intracellular protein which allows for clustering of cell adhesion molecules.
