BIOMEMBRANE

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MEMBRANE STRUCTURE

- Bilayer

- Fluid

- Asymmetric

- Dynamic

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COMPOSITION

- Lipid Phospholipid
Sphingolipid
Cholesterol

- Protein Extrinsic (Cytoskeleton)

Intrinsic (Transmembrane)

- Carbohydrate Oligosaccharide
(Sialic acid)
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FUNCTION OF COMPONENTS

Phospholipid
- Interaction with membrane protein
- Effect on protein conformation
- Effect on membrane integrity

Sphingolipid
- Myelin sheath in nerves

Cholesterol
- Contributes to membrane strength
- Prevents sticking together of phsphlpd tails
- Controls diffusion of water into cells 4
Protein

Intrinsic: - Transport
- Enzymes
- Receptors

Extrinsic: Cytoskeleton

Protein  Membrane density

 Membrane identity
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Carbohydrate

Located on outer surface

Glycoproteins involved in
- Cell-cell interaction
- Immune system to distinguish
self and non-self cells
- Blood group substances
(individually different but can be
matched)
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TRANSPORT

Simple Diffusion
- Small molecules: CO2, O2, H2O, Urea
Move from high to low concentration

- Facilitated Diffusion by carrier system

Transport along concentration gradient
Example: Glucose transporter (Glut)

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- Active Transport

Involves carrier protein (Transporter)

Requires chemical energy (ATP)
Moves particles against conc. gradient

Ex.: Na+, K+- ATPase, Ca2+-ATPase

Proton pump

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Nature of Transport Process

Uniport: Ca-pump

Cotransport
Symport: Glucose absorption from
intestinal mucosa needs Na+

Antiport: Na-pump, ATP-ADP translocase

Anion exchanger (Band 3 in ery- .
throcytes)
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Transport of Macromolecules

Endocytosis
Receptor-mediated endocytosis
Glut 4 carries glucose into muscle and adipose
tissue after insulin binding to its receptor

Exocytosis
Ex.: In nerve synapse.
Vesicles containing neurotransmitter
fuse with membranes and secrete vesicle
content into synaptic gap.
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CELL COMMUNICATION

Cells communicate physically thru junctions.

Tight junction: Intestinal mucosa

Gap junctions: Cooperation of neighboring

cells

Desmosomes: Spot desmosome

Belt desmosome
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