Membrane Structure

6. Membrane structure

  • Membrane components
      * Phospholipid bilayer forms spont. Bc amphipathic structure (polar/nonpolar sides)
      * Membrane proteins determine function; can move laterally/not flip
        * Integral: span membrane, amphipathic
        * Peripheral: polar, nonpolar
      * Membrane protein functions
        * Transport: help mol. Get through membrane bc structure, enzymes, signal transduction (talking to each other) 
        * Carbs: polysaccharides attached to protein (glycoprotein/glycolipid -> cell identification)
  • Fluid mosaic model 
      * Membrane parts can move (lipids, proteins, carbs)
      * Fluidity depends on temp., length of tails (longer HC chains = > movement), bonds in trail (straight = come together when cold, > saturation), amount of cholesterol (spacing)
      * Selectively permeable: lets certain stuff in/out
  • Solvent: substance dissolving others (H2O)
  • Solute: dissolved substance (salt) 
  • Osmosis tonicity: ability of solution to cause cell to gain/lose H2O
      * Isotonic: equal/same, [solute] out = [solute] in, no net H2O movement
      * Hypertonic: [solute] out > [solute] in
      * Hypotonic: [solute] out < [solute] in
  • Dynamic equilibrium: molecules cont. Moving back and forth
  • Passive transport (no metabolic E (ATP), moves with gradient, saves E so is favored; spontaneous)
Movement Type of molecules Proteins involved
Diffusion (tendency for mol. To fill available space)Down gradientSmall gases: O2, CO2, N; small nonpolar molecules: HC; small polar uncharged molecules: H2ONone 
Osmosis (H2O diffuses across semipermeable membrane)Low -> high solute; high -> low H2O H2OMembrane 
Facilitated diffusionDown gradientlarge molecules/ ions (H+, Ca2+, Na+)-Transport proteins: integral proteins-Channel proteins: ion channel-Carrier proteins 
  • Active: uses metabolic E, against gradient 
      * Needs ATP, facilitated by proteins (carriers/pumps) -> 3Na+ out, 2 K+ in
      * Bulk transport: pumps/carrier (integral protein changing shape), against gradient (phosphorylation and coupled reaction so give phosphate)
        * A lot of molecules at once, not carrier mediated (don’t pass through protein), form vesicles, Doesn’t pass through membrane 
  • Bulk transport
      * Exocytosis: out -> releases contents (waste/proteins/secretory products); vesicle fuses with plasma membrane (grows a bit) and releases contents from cell
      * Endocytosis: in -> material enters through vesicles from membrane (shrinks), merged with lysosome and digested
        * Phagocytosis: eating, engulfs large particle, non-specific 
        * Pinocytosis: drinking, ingest fluid/dissolved material, non-specific 
        * Receptor-mediated: receptor proteins in membrane bind certain macromolecules outside (main method), form coated pits, fold inward to form vesicles, specific