The Cell Membrane

Function
 Regulates the movement of materials
from one environment to the other.
 Transports raw materials into the cell and
waste out of the cell.
 Prevents the entry of unwanted matter
and the escape of needed materials.
 Maintain a steady environment:
Homeostasis
Structure:

 Composed of a phospholipid bilayer with

a collage of many different proteins, lipids
and carbohydrates.
 A Phospholipid is composed of 1 glycerol
molecule, 2 fatty acids and 1 phosphate
group. This structure causes hydrophilic
and hydrophobic regions.
The Fluid-Mosaic
Membrane Model
 Membranes are not static; they have a fluid
consistency.
 Most membrane lipids and proteins can drift
about laterally in the plane of the membrane.
 Cholesterol enhances membrane fluidity,
allows animal membranes to function in a wide
range of temperatures and also makes the
membrane less permeable to biological
molecules.
Membrane Proteins:
Two Types:
 Integral: Proteins that insert into the
membrane (transmembrane proteins)
 Peripheral: Proteins attached to the surface
of the cell membrane.
Function:
 Transportation
 Enzymes
 Receptor sites
 Cell adhesion
 Attachment to the cytoskeleton
Carbohydrates:

 Usually branched molecules of 15 or less

sugar units.
 Some are bonded to lipids: Glycolipids.
 Most are bonded to proteins:
Glycoproteins.
 Function: Cell-cell recognition.
Through the Cell
Membrane
1. Diffusion
2. Osmosis
3. Facilitated Diffusion
4. Active Transport
5. Bulk Transport
1. Diffusion:
 Passive movement of molecules from a region
of high concentration to a region of low
concentration.
 (Concentration gradient is the difference in
concentration between the two regions)
 Small, uncharged molecules like O2, CO2 and
H2O can move easily through the membrane.
 Works well over short distances. Once
molecules enter the cell the rate of diffusion
slows.
 Limits cell size.
Passive Transport
2. Osmosis
 Diffusion of the solvent across a semi-permeable
membrane separating two solutions. (Diffusion of
water)
 Water molecules move from a region of high
concentration to a region of low concentration.
 Direction depends on the relative concentration of
water molecules on either side of the cell membrane.
 Isotonic: Water inside the cell equals the water
outside the cell and equal amounts of water move in
and out of the cell.
 Hypotonic: Water outside the cell is greater than that
inside the cell, water moves into the cell, may cause
cell to burst (lysis)
 Hypertonic: Water inside the cell is greater than
outside. Water moves out of the cell, may cause the
cell to shrink (plasmolysis)
Osmosis: Hypotonic
3. Facilitated Diffusion
 Assists with the movement of large molecules
like glucose.
 Passive movement of a substance into or out
of the cell by means of carrier proteins or
channel proteins.
 Moves molecules from high to low regions of
concentration.
 Carrier proteins: Transports non-charged
molecules with a specific shape.
 Channel proteins: Tunnel shape that
transports small charged molecules.
4. Active Transport
 The process of moving substances against their
concentration gradients. Requires energy.
 Examples:
 Kidney cells pump glucose and amino acids out of the
urine and back into the blood.
 Intestinal cells pump in nutrients from the gut.
 Root cells pump in nutrients from the soil.
 Gill cells in fish pump out sodium ions.
 Active Transport Pump:
 Sodium-potassium pump
 3 sodium ions inside the cell and 2 potassium ions
outside the cell bind to the pump.
 This allows the release of energy from ATP and
causes the protein complex to change shape.
 The change in shape allow the Na + and K+ ions to
move across and be released.
Active Transport Pump
5. Bulk Transport
1. Endocytosis: The cell membrane folds
inward, traps and encloses a small amount of
matter from the extracellular fluid. 3 types:
Endocytosis
 Pinocytosis: The intake of a small droplet of
extracellular fluid. This occurs in nearly all cell types.
 Phagocytosis: The intake of a large droplet of
extracellular fluid. This occurs in specialized cells.
 Receptor-assisted endocytosis: The intake of
specific molecules that attach to special proteins in
the cell membrane. These proteins are uniquely
shaped to fit the shape of a specific molecule.
Bulk Transport

2. Exocytosis: The reverse of endocytosis: A

vesicle from inside the cell moves to the cell
membrane. The vesicle fuses to the membrane
and the contents are secreted