Structure of membranes

Membranes have a trilaminar appearance. The two outside lines are the hydrophilic heads,
while in the middle are the hydrophobic tails.
The P-face is the phospholipid layer closest to the inside of the cell and the E-face is the outer
phospholipid layer.
The fluid mosaic model describes the structure of the membrane.
- Fluid because the proteins and the phospholipids seem to move about by diffusion. The
phospholipids move within their layers and so do some proteins, while others remain fixed to
structures inside or outside the cell.
- Mosaic describes the pattern formed by the scattered protein molecules on the surface of the
membrane.
The more unsaturated the fatty acid tails are, the more fluid the membrane is because the fatty
acid tails are bent when they are unsaturated so they fit together more loosely.
- Organisms such as bacteria and yeasts which cannot control their body temperature increase
the proportion of unsaturated fatty acids in their membranes to maintain fluidity.
The long the fatty acid tails, the less fluid the membrane becomes.
As temperature decreases, so does the fluidity of the membrane.
There are two main types of proteins found in the membrane:
1. Intrinsic or integral proteins: They are proteins which are embedded within the membrane.
- They may be found in the inner layer, the outer layer, or spanning the membrane
(transmembrane proteins).
In transmembrane proteins, the hydrophobic regions which cross the membrane are
often made up of -helical chains.
- These proteins are held in place because the hydrophobic amino acids are next to the
hydrophobic fatty acid tails and are repelled by the watery surroundings and the
hydrophilic amino acids, lining the inside or the outside of the cell or the hydrophilic pores
which pass through the membrane, are repelled by the hydrophobic fatty acid tails.
- Most intrinsic proteins float through the membrane but some are fixed to structures
inside or outside the cell.
Extrinsic
or peripheral proteins: They are proteins found on the outer or inner surface of the
2.
membrane.
- They usually stay in place by binding to intrinsic proteins, but they can also be attached
to molecules inside or outside the cell or phospholipids.
Glycolipids,
glycoproteins, and cholesterol are also found in membranes.