MEMBRANE STRUCTURE

AND FUNCTION
 Learning Outcomes
At the end of this session, you should be
able to:
❖ describe the fluid mosaic model and
the roles of its components
❖ describe the different types of
transport across membrane
 The Fluid Mosaic Model of Cell Membranes

Fluid:
individual phospholipid
can move around the
membrane
Mosaic:
pattern produced by
the scattered protein
molecule
❖ Integral proteins protrude through the plasma membrane,
with nonpolar regions that tether them to the membrane's
hydrophobic interior.

❖ Carbohydrate chains are often bound to the extracellular

portion of these proteins, forming glycoproteins.

❖ Peripheral membrane proteins are associated with the

surface of the membrane.
❖ Membrane phospholipids can be modified by the addition
of carbohydrates to form glycolipids.

❖ Inside the cell, actin filaments and intermediate filaments

interact with membrane proteins.

❖ Outside the cell, many animal cells have an elaborate

extracellular matrix composed primarily of glycoproteins
Components of Fluid Mosaic Model
Functions of Proteins of The Cell Membrane
Transport across membrane

1.Passive transport
2.Active transport
3.Bulk transport
 Passive Transport
Passive transport is movement of molecules
through the membrane in which
-no energy is required
-molecules move in response to a
concentration gradient
3 types:
- simple diffusion
- facilitated diffusion
- osmosis
 Diffusion
• Movement of solute from an area of high
concentration to an area of low
concentration until they are evenly
dispersed (equilibrium)

• This occurs along the concentration

gradient
– (from high solute concentration to low
solute concentration)
 Facilitated Diffusion
• This type of transport is passive. There are 2 main
types:
– Channel Mediated: when the proteins in
the cell membrane assist the diffusion of
solute by providing a channel for the
solute to pass through

– Carrier Mediated: when a protein

enables the passage of a substance
through a protein channel

• In both forms, substances move along the

concentration gradient (from high-low)
 Osmosis
Movement of water molecules from an area of low
solute concentration to an area of high solute
concentration across a semi-permeable membrane until
the concentrations are equal (equilibrium)
Osmosis

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 Concentration
• Hypotonic Solution – concentration of the
solute is lower outside the cell than inside the
cell
• Hypertonic Solution - Solution has a higher
concentration of solute outside the cell than
inside the cell.
• Isotonic Solution - Solutions have same
concentrations of solute outside the cell as
inside cell.
Plant and Animal Cells Vs. Concentration
Crenated Normal (Ideal) Cell lysis (bursts)
– no cell wall

Animal 
Plant 

Plasmolysis – Normal Turgid – doesn’t burst

cytoplasm shrivels up because of cell wall 18
Red Blood Cell Vs. Concentration

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 Active Transport
• Active transport uses energy (ATP) to pump
solute in or out against the concentration
gradient (low-high)

• It also involves a carrier protein for each

substance which is actively transported

• This type of transport allows stable internal cell

conditions despite changes in external
environment
 Bulk Transport
• Endocytosis – when substances are transported into
the cell by the cell membrane moving around it to
form a vesicle called an endosome
– Phagocytosis – when large amounts of solid particles are
engulfed into the cell
– Pinocytosis –when a large amount of liquid is engulfed
into the cell

• Exocytosis – when substances are transported out

of the cell via secretory vesicles from the Golgi body
Endocytosis
Pinocytosis Animation

The cell
membrane is
able to move
and enclose the
liquid it is
ingesting
 Receptor-mediated endocytosis

Receptor-mediated endocytosis form of endocytosis that brings

in specific molecules that bind to receptors on the cell membrane.
Exocytosis

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