Transport Mechanisms Flashcards
What is the cell membrane highly permeable to ?
-Water
-Lipid-soluble substances
-Dssovled gasses(O2, CO2)
-Small uncharged molecules
What is the cell membrane less permeable to ?
-Larger molecules
-Charged particles
What is the cell membrane impermeable to ?
-Very large molecules
Characteristics of the cell membrane?
- Phospholipid bilayer
- Amphipathic (polar and nonpolar ends)
What does the cholesterol in the phospholipid bilayer do?
At higher temps. = keeps the membrane more rigid
At lower temps. = keeps the mebrane fluid
-Helps form lipid rafts
-Helps form vesicles
Is cholesterol slightly amphipathic?
Yes
What types of proteins are found in the cell membrane?
Integral proteins - Imbedded within the cell membrane
ex. Transmembrane proteins : type of integral protein that spans the cell membrane
Peripheral - found on the outside of the cell membrane, attached to it but not integrated within it
What does glycocalyx do in the cell membrane and what is it made of?
Sugar coating that surrounds the cell membrane made up of glycans, glycoproteins and glycolipids (sugary molecules)
-Function: contributes to cell-cell recognition, communication, adhesion and protection. Helps control vascular permeability (at the endothelial cells)
Why is the cell membrane called the fluid mosaic model?
- Not a static structure
-Proteins are constantly being turned over
Name the 6 functions of plasma proteins?
- Channels/Transporters
- Amino acid transport/ Na-K pump
- Cell surface receptor
- Cell surface identity marker
5.Cell adhesion
6.Attachment to the cytoskeleton
Name the two ways to cross the cell membrane?
Via the phospholipid bilayer
Or via interaction with a transmembrane protein (channel/carrier)
What is passive transport vs Active?
Passive : energy independent
Active : Energy dependent
What are examples of passive transport?
- Diffusion
- Facilitated Diffusion
- Osmosis (water)
What are examples of active transport?
- Primary active transport
- Secondary active transport
- Pino/Phagocytosis
What is simple diffusion?
The movement of molecules from one location to another as a result of random thermal motion goes with the concentration gradient
What is flux?
Amount of particles crossing a surface per unit time
What is Net flux?
Movement from high to low concentration
At equilibrium what is flux and net flux?
-Net flux is zero
-Fluxes are equal
Net movement is zero but movement never stops molecules are always moving just equally in all directions
Why is diffusion only effective over short distances?
Diffusion time increase in proportion to the square of the distance
What are the most important components of the cell membrane?
The proteins
What determines how well a molecule will diffuse across the membrane?
- Mass of the molecule
- Concentration Gradient
- Lipid Solubility
- Electrical Charge
- Ion channel
- Membrane Carriers
How do non-polar molecules and gasses diffuse?
Across the lipid bilayer
How do ions diffuse?
Through channels
What is an ion channel?
A transmembrane protein that shows ion selectivity
How many transmembrane proteins are required to assembele an ion channel and what does the channel look like?
-At least 4
-All channels have a hole down the middle where ions diffuse into the membrane or out
What is the electrochemical gradient?
The movement of ions is affected by both the concentration gradient but also by the electrical gradient both of these form the electrochemical gradient
What potential do cells have inside of them and what does this mean?
A negative potential, Positive charges will tend to want to flow into the cell
How is potassium affect by the electrochemical gradient?
The concentration gradient:
-There tends to be low potassium outside of the cell, which tends to pull potassium out
The electrical chemical gradient: Due to the negative potential inside the cell potassium ions tend to want to stay inside the cell
What is electrochemical equilibrium?
When the elctrical gradient balances the concentration gradient
What is gating?
The idea that ion channels can exist in an open or closed state depending on their conformation
What is ligand gating?
When a compound such as a neurotransmitter binds to the channels recptor and causes it to open and allow current to flow
What is voltage-gated?
Open/close during excitability to generate action potentials
What is mechnically-gated?
Gated by stress. Located in areas where they can sense volume stretch/touch/pressure can activate these channels
What are the four main voltage-gated ion channels?
- Na+
- K+
- Ca+
- Cl-
Current flow through single ion channels depends upon?
- Channel conductance (how much the channel conducts when it is open)
- Channel open time (how long it is open)
- Frequency of channel opening
What did the patch clamp experiment prove?
When an ion channel opens the current goes to a new level and when it closes it goes back to the original level
What is mediated transport?
The movement of ions and other molecules(glucose, amino acids) by integral membrane proteins called transporters/carriers (NOT channels)
Can ions be moved through channels and transporters/carriers?
Yes
Is ion movement faster through channels or transporters?
Channels
What are the 3 characteristics of mediated transport?
- Specificity
- Saturation
- Competition
What is specificity of mediated transport?
System usually only transports one particular type of molecule
What is saturation of transport?
Rate of transport reaches a maximum when all binding site on all transporters are occupied
What is Tm?
Transport maximum - the maximum amount of substance that can be transported across the membrane at a time
Does diffusian diffusion be saturated?
No, there is not maximum rate of transport