CELL MEMBRANE

PHYSIOLOGY AND
TRANSPORT

DR NISREEN IBRAHIM
PROF ASSISSTANT
DEPT. OFPHYSIOLOGY
At the end of the class, you must
know

1. Importance of cell membrane

2. Types of Transport mechanisms
3. Active transport in detail
4. Primary active transport
5. Secondary active transport
6. - Co-transport and Counter transport
The Cell

Basic unit

75 to 100 trillion cells

Coined by the British
scientist Robert Hooke
(1635 – 1703)

‘Cell’ – L. cella – a store
room or chamber

Great diversity of
function
Cell Constituents
Protoplasm.
Cytoplasm -- Cell Organelles
Inclusion bodies
Cytoskeleton
Nucleus.
Plasma membrane.
Principal Organelles Of The
Cell
 Cell-membrane (including Nuclear-membrane)
 Mitochondria
 Endoplasmic reticulum
 Golgi apparatus
 Ribosomes
 Lysosomes
 Centrosome.
 Nucleus
Cell membrane

 Hypothesis for cell membrane structure

The fluid mosaic model of membrane
structure – Singer & Nicolson 1972
 Arrangement of different molecules in cell

membrane.
Lipid Bilayer
Functional significance
About Cell Membrane
1. All cells have a cell
membrane
2. Functions:
a. Controls what enters
and exits the cell to
maintain an internal
balance called
homeostasis
b. Provides protection
and support for the
cell
Structure of Cell
membrane
It is a double layer of
phospholipids – lipid
bilayer.
It is an elastic , very
thin (7.5-10
nm),nm=10-9 m.
It contains almost
proteins called
membrane proteins
Dynamic .
 3. Structure of cell membrane

Lipid Bilayer -2 layers of

phospholipids (Gorter &
Grendel (1925)
a. Phosphate head ispolar Phospholipid
(water loving)
b. Fatty acid tails non-polar
(water fearing)
c. Proteins embedded in Lipid Bilayer
membrane
Lipid bi-layer
 Polar heads Fluid
love water & Mosaic
dissolve. Model
of
Non-polar tails the cell
hide from
water.
membrane
Carbohydrate cell
markers

Proteins
About Cell Membranes
 4. Cell membranes have pores (holes) in it
a. Selectively permeable: Allows some
molecules in and keeps other molecules out
b. The structure helps it be selective!

Pores
Structure of the Cell
Membrane Outside of cell
Carbohydrate
Proteins chains
Lipid
Bilayer

Transport Phospholipids
Protein Inside of cell
(cytoplasm)
 Membrane Proteins
 Arrangement of proteins in the cell
membrane

Peripheral proteins
Intrinsic
Extrinsic

Integral proteins or
Transmembrane proteins
Channel proteins
Carrier proteins
Receptor proteins
Antigens
Pumps
 Membrane Proteins
Integral Proteins: (70% of Cell membrane proteins part and
parcel of membrane structure
Pumps: They transper substances against Concentration
/ Electrical gradients
Channel Proteins: Opened and closed by gates
Carrier Proteins: Involved in transport of substances
Enzyme Proteins: Takes place in membrane reaction
Receptor Proteins: They bear appropriate sites for
recognition of Specific Ligands.
GLYCOCALYX
Functions of Cell
Membrane:
 Protective Function
Selective permeability
 Absorptive function
 Excretory function
 Exchange of gases
 Maintenance of shape and
 size of the cell.
Transport – What  Its highly selective filter, permits
it means? nutrients and leaves thewaste
products from the cell

Maintain Homeostasis.
Makes Cytosol
environment to different
Play an important role in
cell to cellcommunication.
Its detects Chemical
messengers arriving at the
cell surface.
 TRANSPORT MECHANISMS
TRANSPORT

Active process Passive process

Primary Transport Simple diffusion

Secondary Transport Facilitated diffusion

Vesicular transport Osmosis

Bulk flow
Filtration
Simple diffusion
Is the movement of particles from place 

of higher concentration to a place of

lower concentration as a result of their
kinetic energy ( down concentration
gradient or with concentration ).

Examples : 
Oxygen(very small,very high kinetic 
energy) ,CO2(small uncharged water-
soluble),alcohol, fatty acids .
SIMPLE DIFFUSION THROUGH
PROTEIN ION CHANNELS :

1/ LEAKAGE CHANNELS :
1- watery pathways through 
integral protein.
2- tube shaped extending from 
(ECF) to (ICF) .
3- highly selective only for 
certain ions or molecules
2- GATED CHANNELS

They have gates (doors) 

that can change their shape
to open or to close the
channel in response to varius
signals
A/ LIGAND CHANNELS 
chemically-gated : 

Open or close by binding to a certain 

ligand substance like the
neurotransmitter acetyl choline e.g
ligand – gated Na+ channels.
B/VOLTAGE-GATED
CHANNELS
- Open or close by alterations in the 
membrane electrical potential
(voltage) .

- Change in membrane voltage 

results in conformational change in
the protein molecule , opening or
closing the gate .
E.g : voltage-gated Na+ channels. 
 RATE OF FACTORS AFFECTING NET
DIFFUSION
FICK’S LAW OFDIFFUSION:
J = - DA X ( C1-C2 ) at particular temperature.
T

D = Diffusion coefficient.
A = Surface area.
C1&C2 = Concentrations on either sides.
(Lipid solubility – It is the major determinant in the
pharmacokinetics of a drug)
Factors Influence Diffusion Rates
 Distance -
 The shorter the distance, the more quickly [ ] gradients are
eliminated
 Few cells are father than 125 microns from a blood vessel
 Molecular Size
 Ions and small molecules diffuse more rapidly
 Temperature -
  temp.,  motion of particles
 Steepness of concentrated gradient -
 The larger the [ ] gradient, the faster diffusion proceeds
 Membrane surface area -
 The larger the area, the faster diffusion proceed
Diffusion Across Membranes
 Simple Diffusion
 Lipophilic substances can enter cells easily because
they diffuse through the lipid portion of the
membrane
 Examples are fatty acids, steroids, alcohol, oxygen, carbon
dioxide, and urea,
 Channel-Mediated Diffusion
 Membrane channels are transmembrane proteins
 Only 0.8 nm in diameter
 Used by ions, very small water-soluble compounds
 Much more complex than simple diffusion
 Are there enough channels available?
 Size and charge of the ion affects which channels it can
pass through
CMT: Facilitated Diffusion

Glucose and amino acids are insoluble in lipids and too large
to fit through membrane channels
 Passive process, i.e. no ATP used

Solute
 binds to receptor on carrier protein

Later changes shape then releases solute on other side of
membrane Substance moved down its concentration
gradient
Saturation of a Carrier
Protein,transport maximum
1.When the 2.
concentration of x
molecules outside the
cell is low, the transport
rate is low because it is
limited by the number of
3.
molecules
available to be transported.
When more molecules are present
outside the cell, as long as enough
carrier proteins are available, more
molecules can be transported; thus,
the transport rate increases.
The transport rate is limited by the
number of carrier proteins,activity
and the rate at which each carrier
protein can transport solutes.
When the number of molecules
outside the cell is so large that the
carrier proteins are all occupied,
the system is saturated and the
transport rate cannot increase.
Diffusion Through the
Plasma
Membrane

Figure 3.7
OSMOSIS
Osmosis is the process of moving water across a
semi permeable membrane towards ion or solute
rich region in a solution
 OSMOTIC PRESSURE
 The amount of pressure
that can prevent the
movement of water from
another region which is
partitioned by the
permeable membrane

 colloidal osmotic
pressure of plasma is 25
mmHg
Osmolarity and Tonicity
 M o le - the gram molecular weight of a substance
 1 mole of Glucose =180; 1 mole of NaCl = 58.5

 M olarity - the number of moles of solute per liter of solution

 1.0 M glucose contains 180 g/L; 1.0 M NaCl contains 58.5 g/L

 Most body fluids are less concentrated than 1 M; use mM

(millimolar) or µM (micromolar) concentrations --10-3 and 10-6,

respectively.
 Osmolarity = the total solute concentration in an aqueous solution
 Osmolarity = molarity (mol/L) x # of particles in solutions

 A 1 M Glucose solution = 1 Osmolar (Osm)

 But a 1 M NaCl soln = 2 Osmolar because NaCl dissociates

into 2 particles (Na and Cl) whereas Glucose does not

 A 1 M MgCl solution = what osmolarity????
2
 Physiological solutions are expressed in milliosmoles per liter
(mOsm/L), blood plasma = 3 0 0 mOsm/L or 0.3 Osm/L

 Tonicity
 Tonicity - ability of a solution to affect fluid volume and
pressure within a cell
 depends on concentration and permeability of solute
 Isoton i c sol u ti on
 solution with the same solute concentration as that of the cytosol;
normal saline
 H yp oton i c s ol u ti on
 lower concentration of nonpermeating solutes than that of the cytosol
(high water concentration)
 cells absorb water, swell and may burst (lyse)
 H yp erton i c s ol u ti on
 has higher concentration of nonpermeating solutes than that of the
cytosol (low water concentration)
 cells lose water + shrivel (crenate)
 Osmosis and Cells
 Important because large volume changes caused by
water movement disrupt normal cell function
 Cell shrinkage or swelling
 Isotonic: cell neither shrinks nor swells

 Hypertonic: cell shrinks (crenation)

 Hypotonic: cell swells (lysis)

 Effects of Tonicity on RBCs

Hypotonic, isotonic and hypertonic solutions affect the fluid volume of a red blood
cell. Notice the crenated and swollen cells.
 VESICULAR TRANSPORT
It is the transport of membrane bounded
substances moving across plasma membrane
It is classified into:
1. Endocytosis 2. Exocytosis.
 Endocytosis
It isa process by which the large number of particles
are taken with forming the vesicle into the cell

 It is classified into:
 1. Phagocytosis
 It is a process by which the large number of
particles are engulfed into the cell.
 2. Pinocytosis
 It is a process by which the large number of
particles which are soluble in water are taken into
the cell
Endocytosi
Receptor Mediated Endocytosis
 A selective process
 Involves f o rma t i o n of vesicles at
surf ace of m e m b r a n e
 Vesicles contain receptors on their membrane
 Vesicles contain specific target molecule in high
concentration
 Clathrin-coated vesicle i n cy to p l a sm
 uptake of LDL from bloodstream
 If receptors are lacking, LDL’s accumulate and
hypercholesterolemia develops
Receptor Mediated
Endocytosis
Mechanism of
Phagocytosis
The cell membrane invaginates
the material from ECF.
l
It is pinched off from the
membrane and takes the materia
into ICF

The phagocytic cell such as a

macrophage may be attracted to a
particle like a bacteria or virus by
chemical attractant.
 Pinocytosi

s
In the process of pinocytosis the cell membrane forms an
invagination.

 This is opposed to the ingestion

of large particle like bacteria or
other cells or cell debris.


Whatever substance (Proteins) is found 

within the area of invagination is
 brought into the cell.

In general this material will be dissolved 

in water and thus this process is also
refered to as "cellular drinking"
 Exocytosis
Exocytosis is a process in which an intracellular
vesicle (membrane bounded sphere) moves to
the plasma membrane and fused the
substance into the Extra cellular fluids
For example a few of the processes that use Exocytosis are:

1. Secretion of proteins like enzymes

and antibodies from cells.
2. Release of neurotransmitter from
presynaptic neurons
3. Acrosome reaction during fertilization
4. Recycling of plasma membrane
Exocytosis

The opposite of endocytosis is 

exocytosis. Large molecules that are
manufactured in the cell are released
through the cell membrane.
VESICULAR TRANSPORT
REQUIRES :

1. CALCIUM 
2. ENERGY 
3. PROTEINS 
 BULK Transport
 The movement of large number 
of ions, molecules or particles that
are dissolved or carried in a
medium such as a fluid or air is
called bulk flow.
 Rate of Bulk transport is determined by the

differences in hydrostatic pressure or air

pressure.

Eg: 1. Flow of blood within the vessels.

2.Movement of air into and out of the lungs.
Active Passive transport
transport No Energy is utilised

Energy is utilised
Movement of ions takes place Movement of ions takes place
against conc. gradient favouring conc. gradient

Specific carrier is required No carrier is required

Cellular respiratory rate is

No change

Enzymes are involved

No Enzymes are involved
Types of Cellular Transport
Weeee!!!
 Passive Transport
cell doesn’t use energy
1. Diffusion high
2. Facilitated Diffusion
3. Osmosis low

 Active Transport
This is
cell does use energy gonna be
hard
1. Protein Pumps work!!
high
2. Endocytosis
3. Exocytosis
low
What is active transport?
Active transport is the
transport of substances from
a region of lower
concentration to higher
concentration using energy,
usually in the form of ATP.
Examples: Na, K and Ca
active transport.
1.sodium-potassium pump
2.Calcium pump
3.Potassium hydrogen pump
Active
Transport
needed for,
1. Maintaining the
Chemical and Electrical
Charge at rest.

2. Intake of Substances
through gated Channels.

3. Collecting of ions with

more concentration.
 ACTIVE TRANSPORT - WHY ?
 Cells cannot rely solely on
passive movement of
substances across their
membranes.
 In many instances, it is
necessary to move
substances against their
electrical or chemical
gradient to maintain the
appropriate concentrations
inside of the cell or
organelle.
 Pumps involved in ACTIVE TRANSPORT

1. Sodium-potassium pump
Found in many cells

2. Calcium pump
Found in membrane of
Sarcoplasmic
reticulum(excitable
membranes).

3. Potassium hydrogen
pump
Found in Gastrointestine
cell membrane
Working of Na-K
pump
Primary active transport
Primary active transportis
the transport of sustances
uphill using energy (ATP
hydrolysis)
It cause a conformational
change that results in the
transport of the molecule
through the protein.
Eg. Na+-K+ pump.
STRUCTURE OF NA+ - K+
PUMP
Functions of Na+Kpump
1. It is responsible for
maintaining the high K+
and low Na+
concentration inside the
cell.

2. It maintains intracellular
negativity , sharing in
creating resting
membrane potential .

3. Maintains the normal

cell volume.

4. Activate the Carrier

protein (secondary
transport ).
regulation of the pump
1.The pump requires binding of Na and K and ATP
for its operation.
therefore ,if the concentration of any of these
substances is low,the pump does function.
2. Decrease in temperature
3. Oxygen lack.
4. Metabolic poisons
Eg.2,4 dinitrophenol prevents the formation of
ATP.
5. Hormones : thyroid hormone ,aldosterone ,insulin
increase activity ,while dopamine decreases activity
of pump.
Calcium pump Ca+ ATPase
pump


1.Present in the sarcoplasmic reticulum of muscle

cells , which maintains intracellular ionic

Ca2+ concentration below 0.1mmol/l.

 The direction is from cytoplasm
to ECF.That is why cytoplasm of
most cells have low Ca2+
concentration.
Secondary active transport
 The transport of substances against a
concentration gradient involving energy to
establish a gradient across the cell
membrane, utilizes the gradient to transport
a molecule of interest up its concentration
gradient .

 THE TRANSPORT MAY BE

 In the same direction (SYMPORT)
 In the opposite direction (ANTIPORT)
Mechanisms of Secondary Active
Transport
Carriers type processes
 Carriers are transport proteins that binds ions
and other molecules and then change their
configuration moving the bound molecules
from one side of cell membrane to the other.
Types of carriers :
1.Uniporters
2.Symporters
3.Antiporters
 UNIPORT
 The movement of
a single
Substance.
 It requires no
energy from the
cell.
 Examples.
 Simple diffusion.
 Facilitated
diffusion.
Mechanism of
Uniport

Lower concentration region

 Symport (Co-transport)
 Transport of two
substances using the
energy produced by
concentration
difference developed by
primary active
transport
 Substances are moving
in the same direction.
 Example: transport of
amino acids, Glucose,
The Na+, glucose Secondary
Transport
 Sodium co-
transport of
glucose occurs
during absorption
of glucose from the
intestine and
reabsorption of
glucose from renal
tubule.
Mechanism of Co-transport
ECF
ECFE
ECF
CF
sodium

ECF
glucose

ICFI
ICF
CFICF
ICF
 Antiport (Counter-
transport)
In this process, the two
substances move across the
membrane in
opposite Example:
 directions. Exchange of H+ and Na+ in Renal
tubule.
 MECHANISM OF COUNTER-TRANSPORT
Higher conc. of H+

Lower conc. of H+
Transport of substances in
GIT
 Transport of substances in
G Nephron
Ca

H+

Cl

Ca
Passive Membrane Transport
– Review -
Process Energy S ourc e Ex ample

Movement of O2 through
Simple diffusion Kinetic energy
membrane

Facilitated diffusion Kinetic energy Movement of glucose into cells

Osmosis Kinetic energy Movement of H 2 O in & out of cells

Filtration Hydrostatic pressure Formation of kidney filtrate

 Active Membrane
Transport –
Review
P roc e s s Energy S ourc e Ex ample

Movement of ions across

Active tran sport of solutes ATP
membranes
Exocytosis ATP Neurotransmitter secretion

Endocytosis ATP White blood cell phagocytosis

Fluid-phase endocytosis ATP Absorption by intestinal cells

Receptor-mediated Hormone and cholesterol
ATP
endocytosis uptake
Endocytosis via caveoli ATP Cholesterol regulation

Endocytosis via coatomer ATP Intracellular trafficking of

vesicles molecules
OTHER TRANSPORT
PROCESSES
 Across epithelia.
 Through cell proper
 Through tight
junctions
OTHER TRANSPORT
PROCESSES

 filtration : movement of fluid and

dissolved materials across aporous
capillary membrane along the difference in
hydrostatic pressure.
STARLING’S FORCES- at
the capillary level
 Plasma osmotic pressure 25 mm Hg.
 Hydrostatic pressure,produced by
pumping action of heart and by gravity
force.
Thank
You