Tranport of Cell Membrane

The Cell Membrane

Structure and Function
Structure
• Composed of lipids (mostly phospholipids) and proteins
• Phospholipids are amphipathic (contain a hydrophilic “head” and a
nonpolar, hydrophobic “tail”)
• Hydrophobic interactions cause the tails to turn inward so they are
not exposed to water
• Creates a phospholipid bilayer (heads on the outside, tails inside)
• Other components:
• Cholesterol – makes membrane stronger and less fluid
• Also lowers temp. required for the membrane to solidify.
• Carbohydrates – usually branched oligosaccharides bonded to
lipids (glycolipids) or proteins (glycoproteins)
• Distinguish cells and help cell-to-cell recognition
Structure: Fluid Mosaic Model
Structure
• Phospholipids are not bonded, making the
double layer fluid
• Phospholipids may move laterally
• Unsaturated hydrocarbon tails enhance fluidity

• Proteins are embedded throughout the

membrane
• Peripheral proteins – sit on the surface
• Integral proteins – embedded within the membrane
• May be hydrophobic or hydrophilic
Structure
• Several types of proteins in the membrane:
• Channel – small openings for molecules to diffuse
through
• Carrier – binding site on the surface that binds to
molecules and pulls them inward
• Receptor – receive signals and set off cell responses
• Cell recognition – ID for the cell
• Enzymatic – carries out metabolic reactions
Transport
• Cell membranes are selectively permeable, or
semi-permeable
• Certain substances may pass through, but others
cannot
• Depends on lipid bilayer and specific transport
proteins
• Typically, small, uncharged polar molecules and small
nonpolar molecules pass freely
• Larger molecules and ions and water require channel
proteins
Transport
• The cytoplasm is a solution of many substances
in water

• This creates a concentration gradient – different

concentrations inside and out
• Concentration = mass solute/volume solvent

• Remember: Molecules will naturally move from

high to low concentration
Cells in Solutions
• Isotonic
• A solution whose solute
concentration is the same as the
solute concentration inside the cell.
• Hypotonic
• A solution whose solute
concentration is lower than the solute
concentration inside a cell
• Hypertonic
• A solution whose solute
concentration is higher than the
solute concentration inside a cell.
Cell in Isotonic Solution
• What is the direction of
water movement?
• The cell is at EQUILIBRIUM
• Water will flow in both
directions outside and
inside the cell.
The solute and water
concentrations are the same
inside and outside the cell.
Cell in Hypotonic Solution

• What is the direction

of water movement?
• The water is going
INSIDE the cell.
• Water is attracted to the
solute inside the cell. The solute
concentration is
greater inside the cell
than outside,
therefore water will
flow into the cell.
Cell in Hypertonic Solution

• What is the
direction of water
movement?
• The water is GOING
OUT of the cell.
The solute concentration is
greater outside the cell,
therefore water will flow
outside the cell.
Cells in Solutions
Cells in Solutions

• Isotonic solution hypotonic solution hypertonic solution

• No net movement
• of water. EQUAL CYTOLYSIS PLASMOLYSIS
• amounts leaving and
• entering
Cells in Solutions
• Cytolysis cytolysis in
elodea.
• The destruction of a cell.
• Cells swell and burst
• Plasmolysis
• The shrinking of a cell.
• Cells shrink and shrivel
Plasmolysis
in elodea.

Normal
elodea plant
cell
Cytolysis & Plasmolysis

• Cytolysis Plasmolysis
Three Forms of Transport Across the
Membrane
• Passive Transport Active Transport
Passive Transport
• Does not require energy
• Includes diffusion and osmosis

• Also includes facilitated diffusion – carrier proteins in the

membrane help larger molecules pass through
• Still moves molecules from high to low concentration
Passive Transport: Simple
Diffusion
• Simple Diffusion
• Doesn’t require energy
• Moves high to low
concentration
• Example: Oxygen or
water diffusing into a cell
and carbon dioxide
diffusing out.
Diffusion
• Particles move from high concentration to low
concentration

• Ex: dissolved oxygen diffuses across membrane for

cellular respiration

• Equilibrium – when concentration is the same inside

and out; no net movement
• Is dynamic
• Particles still move at this point, but equally in both directions
 Diffusion

Diffusion is a PASSIVE
process which means no
energy is used to make the
molecules move, they have
a natural KINETIC ENERGY
Diffusion of Lipids
Diffusion Through a Membrane

• Solute moves DOWN the concentration gradient.

(HIGH to LOW)
Diffusion of Water Across A Membrane

• High concentration Low concentration

Passive Transport: Facilitated Diffusion

• Facilitated Diffusion
• Does not require energy
• Uses transport proteins to
move high to low concentration
• Examples: Glucose or amino acids
moving from blood into a cell.
Proteins are Crucial to Membrane Function
Facilitated Diffusion
• Transport proteins are specific to the solute it transports
• Can be saturated
• Carrier protein channels allow water molecules and ions to
flow through
• Aquaporins – water channel proteins
• Gated channels – stimulus causes them to open and close
Types of Transport Proteins
• Channel proteins are
embedded in the cell
membrane & have a pore
for materials to cross
• Carrier proteins can
change shape to move
material from one side of
the membrane to the
other
Facilitated Diffusion
Facilitated Diffusion
Molecules will randomly move through the pores in
Channel Proteins.
Facilitated Diffusion

• Some carrier proteins

do not extend
through the
membrane.
• They bond and drag
molecules through the
lipid bilayer and release
them on the opposite
side.
 Active Transport
• Active Transport
• Requires energy or ATP
• Moves materials from LOW to
HIGH concentration
• AGAINST concentration gradient
Active Transport
• Examples: Pumping Na+
(sodium ions) out and
K+ (potassium ions) in—
against concentration
gradients.
• Called the Sodium-
Potassium Pump.
Sodium-Potassium Pump

• 3 Na+ pumped in for every 2 K+ pumped out; creates a

membrane potential.
 Active Transport--Exocytosis
Exocytosis
 Type of active transport
 Moving things OUT
 Molecules are moved out of
the cell by vesicles that fuse
the with the plasma
membrane.
 This is how many hormones
are secreted and how nerve
cells communicate with
each other.
Exocytosis
Exocytic vesicle
immediately after
fusion with plasma
membrane.
Active Transport--Endocytosis
• Large molecules move materials into the cell by one of three
forms of endocytosis.
• Pinocytosis
• Receptor-mediated endocytosis
• Phagocytosis
Active Transport-Pinocytosis

• Most common form of endocytosis.

• Takes in dissolved molecules as a vesicle.
Active Transport-Pinocytosis
• Cell forms an invagination
• Materials dissolve in water to be brought into cell
• Called “Cell Drinking”
Example of Pinocytosis

• Transport across a capillary cell (blue).

Receptor-Mediated Endocytosis

Some integral proteins have receptors on their surface to

recognize & take in hormones, cholesterol, etc.
Active Transport--Receptor-
Mediated Endocytosis
Active Transport--Phagocytosis

Used to engulf large particles such as food, bacteria, etc. into

vesicles
Called “Cell Eating”
Phagocytosis About to Occur
Phagocytosis

Phagocytosis - Capture
of a parasite (green)
by Membrane
Extensions of an
Immune System Cell
(orange)
parasite macrophage