Membrane Flashcards

Flashcards about membranes, their architecture, the fluid mosaic model, and hydropathy index plots, based on lecture notes.

What are the primary components of cell membranes?

Membranes are constructed from glycerophospholipids and proteins, with a lipid-to-protein ratio ranging from 85:15 to 20:80.

How are glycerophospholipids arranged in the lipid bilayer?

The hydrophobic tails of glycerophospholipids cluster together on the inside, and polar heads are located on the exterior and interior sides.

According to the Fluid Mosaic Model, what kind of movement do lipids and proteins exhibit?

Lipids and proteins can rotate and move laterally within the membrane, making it a dynamic structure.

What are the two main types of protein association with the membrane?

Peripheral/extrinsic proteins are associated with the membrane, while integral/intrinsic proteins are embedded in the bilayer.

What lipid structures can covalently modify proteins to anchor them into the membrane?

Fatty acids, isoprenyl units, or GPI-anchors.

In a hydropathy index plot, how are hydrophobic and hydrophilic amino acids represented?

The more hydrophobic amino acids have positive numbers, while more hydrophilic amino acids have negative numbers.

How are hydrophobic patches identified in a protein structure using a hydropathy index plot?

They become clearly distinguishable as a cluster of hydrophobic amino acids.

What does the presence of multiple hydrophobic patches in a protein's hydropathy index plot suggest?

If a protein has multiple hydrophobic patches, it is likely a transmembrane protein.