LIPID 1

 Hydrophobic / Water insoluble

 Soluble in organic solvents
 Fatty acids, Triglycerides (3 fatty acids + glycerol), Phospholipids, Steroids
(cholesterol)
Fatty Acid
• General formula: CH3(CH2)nCOOH SATURATED FATTY ACID
• Very long carbon chain • Have no double bonds in hydrocarbon chain • Animal fats
• Solid at room temperature • Found in membranes
• Carboxyl group present = Acids
• Non-polar hydrocarbon group = Water insoluble UNSATURATED FATTY ACID
• (palmitic acid - CH3(CH2)14COOH) • Have 1 or more double bonds: MONOUNSATURATED – 1 double
bond; POLYUNSATURATED – 2 or more double bond
(arachidonic acid)
• Found in plants
• 2 types of structural configurations: CIS = H atoms are on the same
side of the double bond – natural unsaturated fatty acids (healthier);
TRANS = H atoms are on the opposite sides of double bond –
processing makes trans fatty acids & hydrogenation converts liquid
vegetable oil into semi-gold fats like margarine (unhealthier)
Omega 3 Fatty Acid
• First double bond in hydrocarbon chain, counting from the CH3 group
on the left = At 3rd carbon atom = “Omega 3” Docasahexaenoic
acid/DHA (structural component of human brain)
• Found in maternal milk or fish oil
• Omega-3 & Omega-6 = Important for cardiovascular and mental health
LIPID 2
Triglyceride / Triglycerol Steroid: Cholesterol
• Made of cholesterol: 4 carbon ring
• Triglyceride = Important for cell membrane
• Synthesised in liver –
• Animal fats = Triglyceride, saturated fatty acids
• HEPATOCYTES – have enzymes
Plants fats = Triglyceride, unsaturated fatty
for its production
acids
Phospholipid • Cholesterol – component of
• Replace 1 fatty acid with polar molecule = Hydrophilic phosphate polar head cell/plasma membrane to help keep
• Phosphocholine attached to choline its structure (stabilize membrane by
• Amphipathic = Chemical compound possessing both hydrophilic polar and lipophilic reducing fluidity), as precursor for
properties synthesis of hormones (oestrogen,
• Make lipid bilayer progesterone, testosterone: made of
cholesterol) & cortisol & vitamin D
(calcium absorption) & bile acids
ESSENTIAL & NON-ESSENTIAL LIPID
Essential Fatty Acid Non-Essential Fatty Acid
• Vital for biological processes = Good for • Made by the body from carbohydrates and proteins
diet or other fatty acids
• Only 2 fatty acids essential for humans: • Important source providing twice the energy that
ALPHA-LINOLENIC ACID and carbohydrates do
LINOLEIC ACID
PERMEABILITY
 = Made of 2 layers of phospholipid molecules where hydrophobic inside and hydrophilic outside
Need For Partition
• PARTITION = Separation of different parts of the cell from one another by membranes
• Reasons for partition: To raise concentrations in a small area of the cell, To keep parts of cellular machinery
together, To allow a division of labour within the cell, To permit signalling within the cell
• Features favouring molecule diffusing through plasma membrane: readily soluble in oil, non-polar, small
size
PARTITION BY MEMBRANE TO PARTITION BY MEMBRANE TO KEEP THINGS
CONCENTRATE MATERIALS INTO A •TOGETHER
Nucleus of cell kept separate from the rest of the cell by nuclear envelope
•SMALL
StorageAREA
vesicles in nerve terminals = Concentrate together the components needed for DNA replication and
• Nerve terminals need to release large amounts transcription
of transmitter quickly  In quiet times,
PARTITION BY MEMBRANE TO DIVIDE LABOUR
transmitter is packed into membrane-bound • Different jobs done in cell at the same time
vesicles  When a nerve impulse arrives, the
concentrated transmitter is released PARTITION BY MEMBRANE TO signal
• Calcium signalling within cell
• Intracellular cytosol keep calcium low = When cell create
signal, release calcium ions from ER  When fertilization
forms, suddenly released to cytosol
PLASMA MEMBRANE
 PERMEABILITY = How easily something crosses plasma membrane using chemico-physical
mechanisms
3 Types Of Permeability
DIFFUSION OSMOSIS
• = Passive movement of a molecule down its • = Special case of diffusion when water molecules diffuse down their
concentration gradient concentration gradient
• Driving force – combination of 2 things: Random • (proteins removed from medium surrounding a cell = lower osmotic
thermal movements of the individual molecules; pressure outside the cell = osmotic pressure forces will cause water to enter
Different in concentration means statistically the cell, causing it to swell)
more molecules go from high to low than from 1. INITIAL STATE: A semi-permeable membrane separates 2 salt solutions,
low to high where impermeable to salt but permeable to water & Hypertonic solution to
• No cellular energy used left with lower water concentration
• Small amount of diffusion across plasma 2. FINAL STATE: Salt can’t flow down its concentration gradient BUT
membrane There is a concentration gradient for water & Water flows down its
• Factors: concentration gradient, size of molecule, concentration gradient so its level on the left rises and continue until the
distance, temperature, state of matter pressure of water balances the pressure caused by water crossing the
membrane – “osmotic pressure”
ACTIVE
TRANSPORT
• = Molecules are moved against their
concentration gradient
• Done by specific molecules in membrane as
pumps, using energy to transfer molecules from
one side of membrane to another against
concentration gradient
• Requires energy
FACILITATED DIFFUSION 1
 Charged molecules, Small molecules, Lipophilic molecules can’t go across as selectively permeable =
Proper controllable (open & closed) pore embedded in the membrane
Types Of Facilitated Diffusion
ION
CHANNEL
• = Central, ion-conducting water-filled pore lined/surrounded with several protein subunits (= spin the plasma membrane)
• Don’t use energy, passive diffusion channels BUT Use concentration/electrochemical gradient
• Ions can move through in either direction through the ion channels
• High carrying capacity: ions don’t have to bind to a single binding site and wait for molecule to change its conformation (other transporters, carriers,
have to) = don’t saturate = many ions can pass at one time; number of ions transported only depends on CONDUCTANCE (= ability of pore to pass a
current of ions) of the pore
• Selective for certain ions: BINDING SITE – Directly opened when a molecule binds at this site, others are modulated in some more subtle way for
specific compounds = Control & Allow ions or molecules across in a controlled way
• Gated by different stimuli to open and close pores: VOLTAGE SENSOR – some ion channels opened and closed by transmembrane voltage & charged
segment which is physically moved by changes in membrane voltage
• SELECTIVITY FILTER – all ion channels selective to greater or lesser degree to specific ions by a ring of charge or specific binding sites along the
pore lining
• Important for target drug – imitate shape of natural ligand
• Some ion channels gated by membrane potential = Respond to voltage
change = Make membrane potential less negative (-70mV  -10mV) =
Open the channel
• Some ion channels gated by a ligand = Specific binding site as part of
ion channel binds a ligand (chemical) with high affinity = Ligand
binding to a specific site = Cause changes in shape to be propagated
along the ion channel = Open the channel
• Acetylcholine = Makor neurotransmitter in brain and at neuromuscular
junction released at synapses and activates receptors the next cell
FACILITATED DIFFUSION 2
Types Of Facilitated Diffusion
PROTEIN
• = Bind to ion/molecule they are transporting, then twist around and deposit it on the other side of the membrane
CARRIER
• Don’t use energy, passive BUT Physically transport a substance across the membrane down the concentration gradient
• UNIPORT – one-way, recognizing 1 molecule or closely-related
group (ex: GLUT1 = a protein in many mammalian cells that
carries glucose down its concentration across the membrane:
binding to outward-facing binding site which triggers a change in
transporter to move glucose so it binds to inward-facing binding
• site)
SYMPORT – 2 different molecules to go through together = Use the gradient of
1 molecule used to pump down (ex: sodium-glucose transporter in the intestinal
epithelium: sodium ions high in concentration outside the cell and low inside so
sodium gradient pump glucose into the cell = form a secondary active transport as
energy comes from the sodium gradient set up at expense of ATP) (ex: cells lining
in kidney tubules and intestine)
• ANTIPORT – carry 2 molecules in opposite directions = Use diffusion gradient
of 1 molecule powers the pump of the other (ex: chloride-bicarbonate exchanger:
chloride entering the cell is coupled with bicarbonate ions leaving the cell – for
regulating pH as loss of basic bicarbonate ion balances the entry of a proton)
AQUAPORIN
• = Pore channels specially for letting water pass through
• Each channel has 4 subunits with pore down the middle
• Charge distribution on channel allows water molecules to pass in single file = Needed for osmosis
• Always open = Don’t usually gate
ACTIVE TRANSPORT
 = Movement of molecules across a cell membrane against the concentration gradient, from low concentration to high
concentration using energy
 Primary = Uses chemical energy (ATP) directly by binding to transporter molecule
 Secondary = Use ATP indirectly where ATP used by a separate pump which sets up a electrochemical gradient,
which is then sued to drive another pump (ex: uptake of glucose in intestine, sodium-potassium pump)
Sodium-Potassium Pump
1. High sodium ion concentration outside the cell & High potassium ion concentration inside the
cell
2. Pump sodium ions out of the cell and potassium ions into the cell from low to high concentration
= Primary active transport using ATP by ATPase enzyme
• Present
Types Of in ALL cells Active Transport
Secondary
• SYMPORT = Transport of an ion is assisted by
another ion going down its own gradient IN
THE SAME DIRECTION
• ANTIPORT = Transport of an ion is assisted by
another ion going down its own gradient IN
THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION
• [ion has a concentration gradient driving the ion
into the cell = gradient set up using ATP] [ion
pushed against its concentration gradient by blue
ion]
OTHER FORMS OF TRANSPORT
Endocytosis & Exocytosis
• Bulk transport – moves items or lots of molecules
• Requires energy
ENDOCYTOSIS

EXOCYTOSIS
• Used to transport material out of the cell
1. Vesicles are formed (there are different types) (some bud off from Golgi
bodies as part of secretory pathway)
2. Vesicle fuses with cell membrane
3. Vesicle contents released / remain floating in cytoplasm / dock to the
membrane without fusing / stored in the cell

Pinocytosis
• Absorb ECF, ‘cell
drinking’
Phagocytosis Receptor-mediated
• Blood cells engulf • Specific binding of
and digest bacteria substance (iron)