Topic 14: Plasma Membrane

Gateway to the cell!

 The Plasma Membrane
• The plasma membrane is the selectively
permeable boundary of the cell
– Controls what substances or information get into
or out of the cell

• Allows cells to communicate with each other

by physical contact
– Allows them to interact with the extracellular
spaces
 Plasma Membrane: Phospholipids
• Lipids with a phosphate group!

+
Phosphate group

2 fatty
acids

• Main component of plasma membrane and

organelle membranes (eukaryotes).
 Phospholipids
• Amphipathic = has both hydrophilic and
hydrophobic components
Hydrophilic Head:
• Always contains glycerol and a
phosphate group
• The R group differs:

Hydrophobic Tail:
• 2 Fatty acids
• Can be saturated or unsaturated
 Plasma Membrane
• The plasma membrane is like a lipid sandwich.
– Two layers of phospholipids interact to form a bi-layer.
Phosphate heads: hydrophilic
Fatty acid tails: hydrophobic

• Remember cytoplasm and extracellular fluid are 70-

80% water!
– Phosphate heads are hydrophilic
• Face out to the extracellular space and in towards the
cytoplasm
– Fatty acid tails are hydrophobic
• Point towards each other
 Transport
proteins
Hydrophobic core

Phospholipid bilayer HYDROPHILIC ‘HEAD’

GROUPS
 Cholesterol: animal cells incorporate this
very hydrophobic molecule into their
membranes to make them stiffer

Phospholipids are not cross-linked.

Membrane is fluid! Recognition protein
 Fluid Mosaic Model

*Membrane is fluid - > Things move around in the membrane!

*Membrane is a mosaic - > contains many different type of components
 Cholesterol
• Cholesterol is also an important part of the membrane
(can be up to 50% of animal cell membranes)

• Makes the membrane more

rigid by limiting movement
of phospholipids.
– Also decreases the
permeability of the
membrane
– The (-OH) on cholesterol
interacts with the phosphate
head of phospholipids
– The hydrocarbon chain is Cholesterol molecule Phospholipid
embedded in the fatty acid tails
Proteins in the Membrane and Their Function
• Transport
• Regulate movement of some molecules
across the membrane.

• Structural
• Anchor cell to the extracellular matrix
• Anchors proteins near the cell membrane

• Recognition
• Glycoproteins: sugars attached to proteins
allow cells to “recognize” each other

• Communication
• Receptors and enzymes
• Activation initiates cellular processes
 Transport Through Plasma Membrane

• Some molecules can simply diffuse through

the phospholipid bilayer
– CO2, O2, H2O, lipids (small)

• Other molecules must be carried through the

membrane by transport proteins
– Large molecules
– Hydrophilic polar molecules
– Ions (charged atoms/molecules)
 Membrane Permeability
• Ability to get things in and out of the cell!
• Plasma membranes are
selectively permeable
– Small hydrophobic and/or
uncharged molecules can
pass through
– Larger polar, hydrophilic
molecules and ions cannot

• Transport proteins are needed

to move larger polar
molecules and ions in/out of
the cell.
 Thought Question
Knowing what you know about the phospholipid
bi-layer and phospholipids…

• Why can’t hydrophilic, polar molecules and

ions just diffuse through the plasma
membrane?

Can’t get through the thick

hydrophobic core!
 Transport Systems
• Movement of water and nutrients into a cell or
elimination of wastes out of cell is essential for
survival

• This movement occurs across a biological

membrane in one of these ways
– Simple diffusion
– Osmosis (diffusion of water) Passive Transport
(i.e. no energy needed)
– Facilitated diffusion
– Active transport
 Simple Diffusion
• The movement of molecules from an area of
higher concentration to an area of lower
concentration until equilibrium is attained.

High
Equilibrium means
Conc.
the concentrations
are uniformly
distributed
Low
Conc.
 Diffusion
• Diffusion happens when there is a concentration
gradient
– A difference in concentration of a substance

• Molecules move in a random fashion, but the net

movement will be down/with the concentration
gradient (high to low) until reach equilibrium.
 Passive Transport: Diffusion
• Only certain substances undergo diffusion directly
across the plasma membrane
– Molecules must be very small so they can pass through
the bi-layer
• CO2, O2, H2O, lipids (small) Rule to be Diffusion:
1. Unaided by protein
2. No Energy Required
3. Moves across a
concentration gradient
(high → low)
4. Dependent upon
hydrophobicity
 Diffusion O
C
O H
O
H O O

O
H
H
O O O O

O O O O
O O O
C H C
H
O O
C
O O
O O
H H O C
H H H
H

Oxygen, carbon dioxide, water, small non-polar molecules

 Diffusion of Water: Osmosis
• Water diffuses across the membrane in a process
called osmosis

• Water will down/with its concentration gradient.

• Move from areas of high water concentration to areas
of lower water concentration.
 Osmosis
Water acts as a universal solvent
• If a solute cannot pass through a cell…

67% water; 33 % solute 33% water; 67 % solute

Equilibrium
reached

50% water; 50 % solute 50% water; 50 % solute

• Water moves across the membrane to help ‘dilute’ the solute

until there is an equivalent % of water to solute on each side.
 1. What is the concentration of water
on each side of the membrane?
3% solute
97% H2O
2. Which way will the water move?

5% solute Reminder: Water passes directly across the

95% H2O membrane, but solute (particles) cannot!
Will water flow into or out of this cell?

Plant cell

3% solute
97% Water

7% solute
93% water

Out of the cell

 Water Movement - Osmosis
• Water continues to move until there is an equal pull on
both sides of the membrane (balance in the concentrations)

• Isotonic - flow of water is equal in both directions, so the

net flow is zero.

2% 10% 6% 6%
glucose glucose glucose glucose

98% 90% 94% 94%

water water water water

Isotonic
No net flow of water
 Osmotic Terminology
• Hypertonic:
– Solution with the higher solute concentration
– Pulls water towards it
• Hypotonic:
– Solution with lower solute concentration
– Water is pulled from it
Hypertonic Isotonic
Hypotonic
Osmosis Review
 1. % water inside and outside
Plant cell the cell?

2. Does the water flow into

2% salt or out of the cell?

98% H2O Out of the cell

3. Is the solution surrounding the

10% salt cell hypertonic, hypotonic or
90% H2O isotonic with respect to the
interior of the cell?
HYPERTONIC
*Salt pulls water out
 Cells and Osmotic Pressure – Animal Cells

• Cells respond to differences in salt (NaCl)

concentrations outside of the cell
– If placed in an isotonic environment (usually 0.9%
w/vol NaCl), there is no change in shape.
– If placed in an hypertonic environment (high salt) then
the cell shrinks.
– If placed in an hypotonic environment (low salt), then
the cell expands and can lyse (burst).
 Osmosis Terminology
Hypotonic Hypertonic
• Net water entering the cell to • Net water leaving the cell
cause osmotic swelling – Animal cells shrink
– Animal cells swell and may (shrivel)
burst
– Plant cells become flaccid
– Plant cells swell and become
turgid
 Passive Transport: Facilitated Diffusion
• Facilitated diffusion or transport provides a
“pathway” for large or hydrophilic molecules to
move along their gradient.
– Still diffusion because it doesn’t require energy!
• Facilitated diffusion requires a
protein channel or carrier protein.
– Protein channels are like tunnels
through the membrane
• You have to have the right charge and
not be too big to get through.
– Carrier proteins only accept specific
molecules and act more like a
revolving door.
 Active Transport
• Active transport is used to move molecules
against the concentration gradient or force of
diffusion
– Increases or decreases concentrations in the cell
instead of having equal amounts inside and outside
• Uses protein channels and energy (ATP) to
‘pump’ substances in or out of the cell.
 Moving molecules through a
transport protein down the
concentration gradient is
Facilitated Diffusion

ATP ADP + Moving molecules through a

P
transport protein against the
concentration gradient is
ACTIVE TRANSPORT,
And requires Energy!
 Review
Facilitative Active
Diffusion Diffusion Transport
Concentration • Down the • Down the • Against the
Gradient gradient gradient gradient

Energy • No energy • No energy • Needs energy

needed needed (ATP)
Proteins • No proteins • Uses proteins • Uses proteins
needed
• Larger • Larger
Types of
• Small (CO2, charged/polar charged/polar
molecules
H2O,O2, molecules molecules
lipids)