Transport Mechanisms Flashcards
How do we maintain homeostasis?
through the exchange of nutrients, salts, gases and waste in and out of the body
The plasma membrane separates what? main exchanges?
The PLASMA MEMBRANE separates ICF and the ISF
Main exchanges: gases, waste, energy sources
The capillary wall separates what? main exchanges?
The CAPILLARY WALL separates the ISF and the Plasma
Main exchanges: nutrients and gases
The plasma also exchanges with the lungs (O2/CO2), the skin (cooling/evaporation), the kidneys (excretion of urea, retention of salts) and the GI tract (intake of nutrients, expulsion of water)
Role of cholesterol
Has a different role depending on temperature:
At cooler temperatures, cholesterol reduces the packing of fatty acid tails and tends to increases/preserve membrane fluidity
At warmer temperatures, when the membrane has higher fluidity, cholesterol keep it more stable
Plays an additional role in lipid rafts and the formation of vesicles
Types of proteins in the cell membrane
Integral Proteins: closely associated with phospholipids and embedded within the cell membrane
- Transmembrane proteins: a type of amphipathic integral protein that spans the entire cell membrane. Plays an important role in transport.
Peripheral Proteins: more loosely associated with phospholipids, involved in signaling within the cell and the cytoskeleton
- Usually found on the cytoplasmic side of the membrane
- Usually non amphipathic
Role of glycocalyx?
Provides protection from infection and enables cells to identify each other and interact
The cell membrane is highly permeable to…
H2O
Lipid-soluble substances
Dissolved gasses (O2 & CO2)
Small uncharged molecules
The cell membrane is less permeable to…
Larger molecules
Charged particles
The cell membrane is impermeable to…
Very large molecules
Functions of Plasma Membrane Proteins (6)
- Transport & Diffusion
- Cell Surface Identity Markers
- Enzymes that catalyze membrane-associated reactions
- Cell-to-cell adhesion
- Receptors of chemical signals
- Attachment to cytoskeleton
Transmembrane transport can occur via… (2 possible ways to cross the cell membrane)
Via the Phospholipid Bilayer – only available for molecules that can permeate the bilayer
Via interactions with protein clusters – pathway for molecules that cannot permeate the bilayer
- Channels (for ions that diffuse down their concentration gradient)
- Carriers/Transporters/Pumps (can involve the use of ATP)
2 Major Categories of Transport Mechanisms Across the Cell Membrane
Active & Passive Transport
Methods of Passive Transport
Diffusion
Carrier-Mediated Facilitated Diffusion
Osmosis
Methods of Active Transport
Carrier-Mediated Active Transport (Primary and Secondary)
Pino/Phagocytosis
What is flux?
number of particles crossing a surface per unit of time
Where is Net Flux Directed?
Net Flux is always from regions of higher concentration to regions of lower concentration
Describe the flux at equilibrium
At equilibrium: diffusion fluxes are equal & net flux = 0 because molecules are distributed everywhere in equal concentrations. There is no gradient, thus the fluxes are equal and in all directions.
Factors that affect diffusion across a cell membrane
- Mass of molecule
- Concentration gradient
- lipid solubility
- electrical charge (charged molecules require channels or carriers)
- Availability of ion channels or membrane carriers
Limitation of Diffusion?
diffusion time increases in proportion to the square of the distance travelled by the solute molecules
How do particles penetrate the cell in diffusion? (2)
- Dissolving in the lipid component of the cell membrane
2. Diffusing through channels
What determines the diffusion of ions across an ion channel?
Electrochemical Gradient: simultaneous existence of an electrical gradient and a concentration gradient for a particular ion
The electrochemical balance is what determines the flow of ions
Gating of Ion Channels
Ligand-Gated Channel – gated by a molecule that binds to the channel and causes conformational changes (ex. a neurotransmitters binds to a channel to open it)
Mechanically-Gated – gated by stretch or pressure (ex. touch-sensitive or pain-related channels)
Voltage-Gates – gated by voltage differences across the cell membrane the channel responds to
The total number of ions that flow through voltage-gated ion channels depends on…(3)
Channel Conductance (How big is channel? How easily do ions flow though it?) How often the channel opens How long the channel stays open
What are mediated transport systems?
The movement of ions/molecules by integral membrane proteins called transporters or carriers.
Properties of Mediated Transport Systems (3)
Specificity, Saturation, Competition
Factors that Determine magnitude of mediated transport systems (4)
- Solute concentration
- Affinity of transporter
- number of transporters
- rate of transporter conformational change
How is facilitated diffusion different from diffusion?
facilitated diffusion is distinct from diffusion in that it involves a transporter or carrier molecule which enables the solute to penetrate the membrane more readily than it could by simple diffusion
Steps of facilitated diffusion:
Solute binds transporter
Transporter configuration changes
Solute is delivered to the other side of the membrane
Transporter resumes original configuration
(down the concentration gradient)
Primary Active Transport
Involves the hydrolysis of ATP by a transporter
The phosphorylation of the transporter changes its conformation and solute-binding affinity
The Na+/K+ Pump
- ATP is bound to the pump, increasing the affinity of the three binding sites for Na+
- 3 Na+ molecules bind to the pump. This causes the hydrolysis of the ATP and the phosphorylation of the ATPase.
ADP is released - Another conformation change occurs that reduced the affinity of the sodium binding sites. Na is released outside the cell while the two K+ binding sites increase their affinity
- 2x K+ ions bind to the pump and the phosphate is released. This causes another conformation changes to the ATPase resulting in the K+ binding site facing the inside of the cell where the K+ molecules are released