MEMBRANE STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION

Membranes organize the chemical

activities of cells
• Membranes organize the chemical reactions
making up metabolism



Cytoplasm

Figure 5.10
• Membranes are selectively permeable

– They control the flow of substances into and out

of a cell

• Membranes can hold teams of enzymes that

function in metabolism
• In water, phospholipids form a stable bilayer
– The heads face outward and the tails face
inward

Water
Hydrophilic
heads

Hydrophobic
tails

Water

Figure 5.11B
 Membrane phospholipids form a
bilayer
Head

• Phospholipids are
the main structural
components of
membranes
• They each have a
hydrophilic head
and two Symbol

hydrophobic tails

Tails
Figure 5.11A
 The membrane is a fluid mosaic of
phospholipids and proteins
• Phospholipid molecules form a flexible bilayer
– Cholesterol and protein molecules are embedded in
it
– Carbohydrates act as cell identification tags
• The plasma membrane of an animal cell

Glycoprotein Carbohydrate
(of
glycoprotein)
Fibers of the
extracellular
matrix
Glycolipid

Phospholipid
Cholesterol
Microfilaments Proteins
of the
cytoskeleton CYTOPLASM

Figure 5.12
ORGANELLES OF THE ENDOMEMBRANE
SYSTEM
The nucleus is the cell’s genetic control
center

• The largest organelle is usually the nucleus

• The nucleus is separated from the cytoplasm by
the nuclear envelope
• The nucleus is the cellular control center
– It contains the DNA that directs the cell’s activities
 NUCLEUS

Chromatin
Two membranes
of nuclear
Nucleolus envelope

Pore

ROUGH
ENDOPLASMIC
RETICULUM

Ribosomes
Figure 4.6
 Rough endoplasmic reticulum makes
membrane and proteins
• The rough ER manufactures membranes
• Ribosomes on its surface produce proteins

Transport vesicle 4
buds off

Ribosome
Secretory
(glyco-) protein
Sugar inside transport
3
chain vesicle

Glycoprotein
1 2 ROUGH ER

Polypeptide
Figure 4.8
 Smooth endoplasmic reticulum has a
variety of functions
• Smooth ER synthesizes lipids
• In some cells, it regulates carbohydrate
metabolism and breaks down toxins and drugs
 SMOOTH ER

ROUGH
ER
Nuclear
envelope

Ribosomes

SMOOTH ER ROUGH ER

Figure 4.9
 The Golgi apparatus finishes, sorts, and
ships cell products
• The Golgi apparatus consists of stacks of
membranous sacs
– These receive and modify ER products, then send
them on to other organelles or to the cell membrane
• The Golgi apparatus

Golgi apparatus

Golgi
apparatus

“Receiving” side of
Golgi apparatus

Transport
vesicle
from ER

New
vesicle
forming

“Shipping”
Transport vesicle
side of Golgi
from the Golgi
apparatus Figure 4.10
 Lysosomes digest the cell’s food and
wastes
• Lysosomes are
sacs of digestive
enzymes budded LYSOSOME
off the Golgi
Nucleus

Figure 4.11A
• Lysosomal enzymes
– digest food
– destroy bacteria
– recycle damaged organelles
– function in embryonic development in animals
 Rough ER

Transport vesicle
(containing inactive
hydrolytic enzymes)

Plasma
membrane Golgi
apparatus

Engulfment
of particle Lysosome
engulfing
damaged
“Food” organelle
LYSOSOMES

Digestion
Food
vacuole

Figure 4.11B
 Vacuoles function in the general
maintenance of the cell
• Plant cells
contain a large
central vacuole
– The vacuole has
lysosomal and Central
vacuole
storage functions

Nucleus

Figure 4.13A
• Protists may have contractile vacuoles
– These pump out excess water

Nucleus

Contractile
vacuoles Figure 4.13B
 Overview: Many cell organelles are related
through the endomembrane system

• The endomembrane system is a collection of

membranous organelles
– These organelles manufacture and distribute cell
products
– The endomembrane system divides the cell into
compartments
– Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is part of the
endomembrane system
 A review of the endomembrane system
• The various organelles of the endomembrane
system are interconnected structurally and
functionally
Transport Transport
Rough vesicle vesicle
ER from ER from Golgi

Plasma
membrane

Vacuole
Nucleus
Lysosome
Golgi
Smooth Nuclear apparatus
ER envelope Figure 4.14
ENERGY-CONVERTING ORGANELLES
Chloroplasts convert solar energy to
chemical energy
• Chloroplasts are found in plants and some
protists
• Chloroplasts convert solar energy to chemical
energy in sugars

Chloroplast Stroma

Inner and outer

membranes

Granum

Intermembrane
Figure 4.15 space
 Mitochondria harvest chemical energy
from food
• Mitochondria carry out cellular respiration
– This process uses the chemical energy in food to
make ATP for cellular work
 MITOCHONDRION Outer
membrane

Intermembrane
space

Inner
membrane

Cristae

Figure 4.16
Matrix
THE CYTOSKELETON AND RELATED
STRUCTURES
The cell’s internal skeleton helps
organize its structure and activities
• A network of protein fibers makes up the
cytoskeleton

Figure 4.17A
• Microfilaments of actin enable cells to change
shape and move
• Intermediate filaments reinforce the cell and
anchor certain organelles
• Microtubules
– give the cell rigidity
– provide anchors for organelles
– act as tracks for organelle movement
 Tubulin
Actin subunit Fibrous subunits subunit

25 nm
7 nm 10 nm

MICROFILAMENT INTERMEDIATE MICROTUBULE

FILAMENT

Figure 4.17B
 Cilia and flagella move when
microtubules bend
• Eukaryotic cilia and flagella are locomotor
appendages that protrude from certain cells
• A cilia or flagellum is composed of a core of
microtubules wrapped in an extension of the
plasma membrane
 FLAGELLUM

Electron micrograph
of sections:

Outer microtubule
doublet

Plasma
membrane

Flagellum

Central
microtubules

Outer microtubule
doublet

Plasma Basal body

membrane
Basal body
Figure 4.18A (structurally identical to centriole)
 • Clusters of microtubules drive the whipping
action of these organelles

Microtubule doublet

Dynein arm Sliding

force

Figure 4.18B
• Cell, stained for mitochondria, actin, and
nucleus

Figure 4.1x
• Nuclei (yellow) and actin (red)

Figure 4.6x