Cell Membrane

The Cell Membrane
AP Biology
2007-2008
Overview
Cell membrane separates living cell from
nonliving surroundings
thin barrier = 8nm thick
Controls traffic in & out of the cell
selectively permeable
allows some substances to cross more easily
than others
hydrophobic vs hydrophilic
Made of phospholipids, proteins & other

macromolecules
AP Biology
Phosphate
Phospholipids
Fatty acid tails
hydrophobic
Phosphate group head
hydrophilic
Fatty acid
Arranged as a bilayer
Aaaah,
one of those
structurefunction
examples
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Phospholipid bilayer
polar
hydrophilic
heads
nonpolar
hydrophobic
tails
polar
hydrophilic
heads
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More than lipids

In 1972, S.J. Singer & G. Nicolson
proposed that membrane proteins are
inserted into the phospholipid bilayer
Its like a fluid
Its like a mosaic
Its the
Fluid Mosaic Model!
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Membrane is a collage of proteins & other molecules

embedded in the fluid matrix of the lipid bilayer
Glycoprotein
Extracellular fluid
Glycolipid
Phospholipids
Cholesterol
Transmembrane
proteins
Peripheral
protein
Cytoplasm
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Filaments of
cytoskeleton
Membrane fat composition varies

Fat composition affects flexibility
membrane must be fluid & flexible

about as fluid as thick salad oil
% unsaturated fatty acids in phospholipids

keep membrane less viscous
cold-adapted organisms, like winter wheat
increase % in autumn
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cholesterol in membrane
Evidence of Fluidity?
AP Biology
Why is it that phospholipids drift

laterally but not flip-flop?
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How is fluidity maintained?

Kinks in unsaturated fatty acid tails of
phospholipids.
Cholesterol
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Membrane Proteins
Proteins determine membranes specific functions
cell membrane & organelle membranes each have

unique collections of proteins
Membrane proteins:
peripheral proteins
loosely bound to surface of membrane
cell surface identity marker (antigens)
integral proteins
penetrate lipid bilayer, usually across whole membrane
transmembrane protein
transport proteins
channels, permeases (pumps)

AP Biology
How are proteins arranged to contribute to

membrane function?
Membrane proteins contribute to the
mosaic quality of the structure.

Different proteins convey different
properties to each membrane.
Proteins attach to cytoskeleton or to
extracellular fibers to help give animal
cells a stronger framework
AP Biology
Why are
proteins the perfect
molecule to build structures
in the cell membrane?
AP Biology
2007-2008
Classes of amino acids

What do these amino acids have in common?
nonpolar & hydrophobic

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Classes of amino acids

What do these amino acids have in common?
I like the
polar ones
the best!
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polar & hydrophilic
Proteins domains anchor molecule

Within membrane
Polar areas
of protein
nonpolar amino acids

hydrophobic
anchors protein
into membrane
On outer surfaces of
membrane
polar amino acids

hydrophilic
extend into
AP Biology
extracellular fluid &

into cytosol
Nonpolar areas of protein
H+
Examples
Retinal
chromophore
NH2
water channel
in bacteria
Porin monomer
b-pleated sheets
Bacterial
outer
membrane
Nonpolar
(hydrophobic)
a-helices in the
cell membrane
COOH
H+
Cytoplasm
proton pump channel

in photosynthetic bacteria
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function through
conformational change =
shape change
Functions of Membrane Proteins
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Functions of Membrane Proteins
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Membrane carbohydrates
Play a key role in cell-cell recognition
ability of a cell to distinguish one cell

from another
antigens
important in organ &

tissue development
basis for rejection of
foreign cells by
immune system
AP Biology
AP Biology
Any Questions??
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Movement across the

Cell Membrane
AP Biology
2007-2008
Diffusion
2nd Law of Thermodynamics
governs biological systems
universe tends towards disorder or

randomness (entropy)
Diffusion
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movement from high low concentration
Diffusion
Move from HIGH to LOW concentration
passive transport
no energy needed
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diffusion
movement of water
osmosis
Diffusion across cell membrane

Cell membrane is the boundary between
inside & outside
separates cell from its environment
Can it be an impenetrable boundary?
NO!
OUT
IN
food
carbohydrates
sugars, proteins
amino acids
Lipids, some ions
salts, O2, H2O
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OUT
IN
waste
ammonia
salts
CO2
H2O
products
cell needs materials in & products or waste out
Diffusion through phospholipid bilayer
What molecules can get through directly?
fats & other lipids
inside cell
NH3
What molecules can
lipid
salt
NOT get through

directly?
polar molecules
H 2O
outside cell
sugar aa
H 2O
ions
salts, ammonia
large molecules
starches, proteins
AP Biology
Channels through cell membrane

Membrane becomes semi-permeable
with protein channels
specific channels allow specific material

across cell membrane
inside cell
NH
AP
Biology
3
salt
H 2O
aa
sugar
outside cell
Facilitated Diffusion
Diffusion through protein channels
channels move specific molecules across

cell membrane
facilitated = with help
no energy needed
open channel = fast transport
high
low
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The Bouncer
Channel vs. Carrier Proteins

(movement from high to low)
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Active Transport
Cells may need to move molecules against
concentration gradient
shape change transports solute from

one side of membrane to other
protein pump
conformational change
costs energy = ATP
low
ATP
high
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The Doorman
Active transport
Many models & mechanisms

ATP
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ATP
antiport
symport
Co-Transport
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Sodium-Potassium Pump
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Getting through cell membrane

Passive Transport
Simple diffusion
diffusion of nonpolar, hydrophobic molecules
lipids
high low concentration gradient
Facilitated transport
diffusion of polar, hydrophilic molecules
through a protein channel or carrier proteins
high low concentration gradient
Active transport
diffusion against concentration gradient

low high
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uses a protein pump

requires ATP
ATP
Transport summary
simple
diffusion
facilitated
diffusion
active
transport
AP Biology
ATP
How about large molecules?

Moving large molecules into & out of cell
through vesicles & vacuoles
endocytosis
phagocytosis = cellular eating

pinocytosis = cellular drinking
Exocytosis
Costs energy ATP!
Where is the energy
used? I dont see it.
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exocytosis
Endocytosis
phagocytosis
pinocytosis
receptor-mediated
endocytosis
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fuse with
lysosome for
digestion
non-specific
process
triggered by
binding of a
ligand to a
receptor
The Special Case of Water

Movement of water across
the cell membrane
AP Biology
2007-2008
Osmosis is diffusion of water

Water is very important to life,
so we talk about water separately

Diffusion of water from
high concentration of water to
low concentration of water
AP Biology
across a
semi-permeable
membrane
Concentration of water
Direction of osmosis is determined by
comparing total solute concentrations
Hypertonic - more solute, less water
Hypotonic - less solute, more water
Isotonic - equal solute, equal water
water
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hypotonic
hypertonic
net movement of water
Managing water balance

Cell survival depends on balancing
water uptake & loss
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freshwater
balanced
saltwater

Isotonic
animal cell immersed in

mild salt solution
example:
blood cells in blood plasma

problem: none
no net movement of water
flows across membrane

equally, in both directions
volume of cell is stable
AP Biology
balanced

Hypotonic
a cell in fresh water

example: Paramecium
problem: gains water,
swells & can burst

water continually enters
Paramecium cell
solution: contractile vacuole

pumps water out of cell
ATP
ATP
plant cells
turgid
AP Biology
freshwater
Water regulation
Contractile vacuole in Paramecium
ATP
AP Biology

Hypertonic
a cell in salt water

example: shellfish
problem: lose water & die
solution: take up water or
pump out salt
plant cells
plasmolysis = wilt
AP Biology
saltwater
1991 | 2003
Aquaporins
Water moves rapidly into & out of cells
AP Biology
evidence that there were water channels
Peter Agre
Roderick MacKinnon
John Hopkins
Rockefeller
Osmosis
.05 M
.03 M
Cell (compared to beaker) hypertonic or hypotonic

Beaker (compared to cell) hypertonic or hypotonic
Which way does the water flow? in or out of cell
AP Biology
Any Questions??
AP Biology

Cell Membrane

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The Cell Membrane

thin barrier = 8nm thick

Controls traffic in & out of the cell

Made of phospholipids, proteins & other

Phosphate group head

More than lipids

Membrane is a collage of proteins & other molecules

Membrane fat composition varies

membrane must be fluid & flexible

% unsaturated fatty acids in phospholipids

Why is it that phospholipids drift

How is fluidity maintained?

cell membrane & organelle membranes each have

cell surface identity marker (antigens)

channels, permeases (pumps)

How are proteins arranged to contribute to

Membrane proteins contribute to the

mosaic quality of the structure.

Classes of amino acids

nonpolar & hydrophobic

Classes of amino acids

polar & hydrophilic

Proteins domains anchor molecule

nonpolar amino acids

polar amino acids

extracellular fluid &

Nonpolar areas of protein

proton pump channel

Functions of Membrane Proteins

Functions of Membrane Proteins

ability of a cell to distinguish one cell

important in organ &

Movement across the

universe tends towards disorder or

movement from high low concentration

Diffusion across cell membrane

separates cell from its environment

Can it be an impenetrable boundary?

cell needs materials in & products or waste out

Diffusion through phospholipid bilayer

What molecules can get through directly?

fats & other lipids

What molecules can

NOT get through

Channels through cell membrane

specific channels allow specific material

channels move specific molecules across

open channel = fast transport

Channel vs. Carrier Proteins

shape change transports solute from

Many models & mechanisms

Getting through cell membrane

diffusion against concentration gradient

uses a protein pump

How about large molecules?

phagocytosis = cellular eating

Where is the energy

used? I dont see it.

The Special Case of Water

Osmosis is diffusion of water