Membranes:

Their
Structure,
Function and
Chemistry
 Cell Membranes
 Separates the interior of the cell from
its environment
 Functions as a selective barrier (semi-
permeable) that allows passage of
enough oxygen, nutrients and wastes
to service the entire cell.
 structure & function of cells are
critically dependent on membranes
 Structural organization: bilayers of
phospholipids with associated
proteins
The Fluid-Mosaic Model
Membrane Lipids: Phospholipids

 Fundamental building blocks of all

cell membranes
 Amphipathic molecules
- two hydrophobic tails
- one hydrophilic head

 Plasma membranes – 50% lipids, 50% protein

The Fluid-Mosaic Model
Fluidity of Membranes
 Temperature is directly
proportional to the fluidity of
membranes.

 Membrane Fluidity depends on:

- Fatty acid composition
- length of fatty acid present
- degree of unsaturation of
its side chain
Fluidity of Membranes
 Membrane Fluidity depends on:
- Presence of cholesterol
- makes the membranes less
fluid at high temperatures by
restraining phospholipid
movement
-also hinders the close packing
of phospholipids, it lowers the
temperature required for the
membrane to solidify
The Fluid-Mosaic Model
Membrane Proteins
 other major constituents of membranes (25-75% of the mass
of the various membranes of the cell)
 carry out the specific functions of the different membranes of
the cell
- act as receptors that allow the cell to respond to external signals
- responsible for the selective transport of molecules across the membranes
- participate in electron transport & oxidative phosphorylation
- control the interactions between cells of multicellular organisms
Functions of Membrane Proteins

Transport Enzymatic Activity

Functions of Membrane Proteins

Cell-cell Recognition

Signal Transduction
Functions of Membrane Proteins

Attachment to
Intercellular Joining Cytoskeleton and
Extracellular Matrix
2 Major Populations of Membrane Proteins
 Integral Proteins
- penetrate the hydrophobic interior of
the lipid bilayer
e.g. transmembrane proteins
Types of Integral Proteins
a) Integral monotopic proteins
- appear to be embedded on only one of the bilayer
b) Singlepass proteins
- transmembrane proteins that span the bilayer once
c) Multipass proteins
- span the bilayer multiple times
- may consist of either a single polypeptides or several associated
polypeptides (Multisubunit proteins)
2 Major Populations of Membrane Proteins

 Peripheral Proteins
- are not embedded in the lipid
bilayer
- they are appendages loosely
bound to the surface of the
membrane, often to exposed
parts of integral proteins
Permeability of the Lipid Bilayer

Lipid bilayer – hydrophobic

2 Categories of Transport
 Non-carrier mediated
- does not require carrier proteins (simple
diffusion)

 Carrier mediated
- requires specific
carrier proteins
Transport Proteins

 Channel Proteins
- function by having a
hydrophilic channel that certain
molecules or atomic ions use as
a tunnel through the membrane
Transport Proteins

 Aquaporins (Water Channels)

- facilitates movement of water
molecules through membranes
- allows entry of 3 billion water
molecules per second
Transport Proteins
 GLUT-1
- uniport transporter found in red blood cells and neurons
where it functions in the basal transport of glucose into the cell
The Movement of
Substances across
Cell Membranes
Passive Transport
 diffusion of a substance across a membrane with
NO ENERGY INVESTMENT

Diffusion
 spontaneous process in which a substance moves from a
region of high concentration to a region of low concentration,
eventually eliminating the concentration difference between
the two regions.
Diffusion
Diffusion
Simple Rule of Diffusion
 In the absence of other forces, a
substance will diffuse from where it
is more concentrated to where it is
less concentrated.
 Osmosis
 The diffusion of free water across a selectively permeable
membrane

Water molecules move from an area of higher to lower free

water concentration. (lower to higher solute concentration)

Requirements for osmosis:

1) there must be a difference in the concentration of a solute on
the two sides of a selectively permeable membrane.
2) the membrane must be relatively impermeable to the solute
Osmosis
Water Balance of Cells without cell walls
 Tonicity
- the ability of the surrounding solution to cause a cell
to gain or lose water

Isotonic Solution

 “iso” means ‘same’

- NO NET MOVEMENT of water
across a plasma membrane
Water Balance of Cells without cell walls

Hypertonic Solution

 “hyper” means ‘more’

- more solutes outside than
inside the cell
- cell will lose water, shrivel
and die
Water Balance of Cells without cell walls

Hypotonic Solution

 “hypo” means ‘less’

- less solutes and more water
outside than inside the cell
- water will enter the cell
faster than it leaves
- the cell will swell and lyse
(burst) like an overfilled
balloon
Water Balance of Cells with cell walls

Hypotonic Solution

- cell is turgid (very firm)

Water Balance of Cells with cell walls

Isotonic Solution

- No NET MOVEMENT of water

- Cells become flaccid
Water Balance of Cells with cell walls

Hypertonic Solution
- Cell will lose water to its
surroundings and shrink
PLASMOLYSIS
- Plasma membrane pulls away
from the cell wall
Facilitated Diffusion
- Passive transport aided by
proteins
- Helps polar molecules and
ions to diffuse through the
membrane

Types of Transport Proteins

a) Channel proteins
b) Carrier proteins
Facilitated Diffusion

Channel Proteins

- hydrophilic passageways for

specific molecules or proteins
to cross
Transport Proteins

 Aquaporins (Water Channels)

- facilitates movement of water
molecules through membranes
- allows entry of 3 billion water
molecules per second
Facilitated Diffusion
Channel Proteins
- hydrophilic passageways for
specific molecules or proteins
to cross

Ion channels

- Channel proteins that transport ions

- Functions as gated channels which open
or close in response to a stimulus
Facilitated Diffusion

Carrier Proteins

- Undergoes a subtle change in

shape that translocates the solute-
binding site across the membrane

Ex. Glucose Transporter

Active Transport
 uses energy to move solutes across membranes
against their concentration gradient
 Uses carrier proteins

 Enables a cell to maintain internal concentrations of small

solutes that differ from concentrations in its environment

Ex. Sodium-Potassium Pump

How Ion pumps maintain Membrane Potential
Membrane Potential
- The voltage across a membrane
- Usually ranges from about -50 to -200 mV

 Acts like a battery, an energy source that affects the traffic

of all charged substances across the membrane

2 forces that drive ion diffusion:

a) A chemical force (ion’s concentration gradient) Electrochemical
b) An electrical force (the effect of the membrane gradient
potential on the ion’s movement
How Ion pumps maintain Membrane Potential
Electrogenic pump
- A transport protein that generates voltage across a membrane
Ex. Sodium-Potassium Pump
- appears to be the major Electrogenic pump in animal cells

Proton pump
- The major Electrogenic pump in plants, fungi and bacteria
- Actively transports protons (hydrogen ions) out of the cell
How Ion pumps maintain Membrane Potential
Proton pump
- The major Electrogenic pump in plants, fungi and bacteria
- Actively transports protons (hydrogen ions) out of the cell

By generating voltage
across membranes,
electrogenic pumps
help store energy that
can be tapped for
cellular work.
Cotransport
- Coupled transport by a membrane protein
- Occurs when a transport protein (a cotransporter) couples the
“downhill” diffusion of the solute to the “uphill” transport of a
second substance against its own concentration gradient
Bulk Transport across the Plasma Membrane

Exocytosis
- Process where
the cell secretes
certain
molecules by the
fusion of vesicles
with the plasma
membrane
Bulk Transport across the Plasma Membrane

Endocytosis
- Process where the cell takes in molecules and particulate
matter by forming new vesicles from the plasma membrane

Three types of Endocytosis

1) Phagocytosis
2) Pinocytosis
3) Receptor-mediated Endocytosis
 Bulk Transport across the
Plasma Membrane

Endocytosis: Phagocytosis

“cellular-eating”
Bulk Transport across the
Plasma Membrane
Endocytosis: Pinocytosis
“cellular-drinking”
Bulk Transport across the Plasma Membrane

Receptor- mediated
Endocytosis
- A special type of pinocytosis
that enables the cell to acquire
bulk quantities of specific
substances