Form 4- Chapter 3 : Movement of Substances Across the Plasma Membrane 1.

Uniqueness of Plasma Membrane /cell membrane

it is a semi-permeable membrane it allows water and certain substances to move in and out of the cell.

2. mportance of Plasma Membrane:

cells obtain nutrients and gases cells excrete metabolic wastes cells can maintain pH for enzyme activity cells can maintain ionic concentration of the cells for enzyme activity control the types and the amount of substances allow useful substance (hormones enzymes! to secrete from cells protect cells " boundary between the inside and outside of cell.

#. Structure of the basic unit of plasma membrane

Phospholipi! molecule: $Head% & hydrophilic: a polar phosphate molecule (philic'loves water attracted to water! $(ail% & hydrophobic: two non-polar fatty acids (phobic'hates water repelled to water!
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Formation: Hydrophilic heads pointing outwards Hydrophobic tails pointing inwards

Flui! Mosaic Mo!el "Protein embe!!e! in the bila#er$ )arrier protein

carrier for some molecules (glucose* amino acids* proteins and nucleic acids! controls the movement of ions and particles (+a,* )a2, and -,! .lycoprotein

.lycolipid

combination of lipids and polysaccharides

/. Permeabilit# 0ermeable (allow to pass through!

small non-polar molecules (vitamins "* 1* 2* -* fatty acids* glycerol and steroids!

3mpermeable (not allowed to pass through but with help of carrier protein and cellular energy* it is allowed to pass through!

large polar molecules (glucose* amino acids* nucleic acids and polysaccharides! charged ions (H,* +a,* -,* )l- and )a2,!

4ubstances that are allowed to move out of the cell:

)52 excess H25 nitrogenous waste

4ubstances that are allowed to move into the cell:

52 amino acids mineral salts glucose

6aterials must be able to move through the plasma membrane in order for the cell cytoplasm to interact with the external environment. (herefore* the movement of soluble substances can occur in several mechanisms: ". 0rocess of 0assive (ransport

7. 0rocess of "ctive (ransport

". Passive %ransport i! Simple &iffusion

not selective: lipid-soluble molecules* gases and water. not control by cell. movement of the molecules from a region of higher concentration to a region of lower concentration. 8actors affecting the rate of diffusion are temperature* size of molecules ions* diffusion gradient* surface area and diffusion medium. example: diffusion of oxygen and carbon dioxide at the alveolus.

ii! 'smosis:

only water molecules. not control by cell. movement of water from a region of higher concentration to one of lower concentration and often occurs across a semi permeable membrane. strong sucrose solution 9 less water molecule 9 low water potential. wea: sucrose solution 9 more water molecule 9 high water potential. example: absorption of water by root hairs.

iii! Facilitate! &iffusion:

very specific: glucose* nucleic acids* amino acids* protein and mineral ions. control by cell. transport of molecules (only certain molecules! across the outer membrane of living cell by a process of carrier protein (hydrophilic group! channel protein (3ons: +a,* )a2,* -,! within the cell membrane. normally ta:e place from a region with higher concentration of molecules to a region of lower concentration. example: absorption of digested food in the villus.

7. Process of Active %ransport

very specific: minerals ions and amino acids. controlled by cell. (his process needs carrier proteins and energy (due to against concentration gradient! from a region of lower concentration to a region of higher concentration!. )ell must expend energy that derived from "(0 (adenosine triphosphate! example: human nerve cells (sodium ions are constantly transport out of the cell! ions inta:e by root hairs of a plant.

%#pe of Solution
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1. Hypotonic 2. 3sotonic #. Hypertonic ($ )#potonic

4olute concentration in the external solution is lesser than solute concentration inside the cell. ;ater concentration outside the cell is higher than the water concentration inside the cell.

*$ sotonic

4olute concentration in the external solution is e<ual to the solute concentration inside the cell. ;ater concentration inside and outside of the cell is the same.

3$ )#pertonic

4olute concentration in the external solution is greater than solute concentration inside the cell. ;ater concentration outside the cell is lower than the water concentration inside the cell.

%#pes of solutions:

(ype of 4olution "nimal )ell

Hypotonic

3sotonic

Hypertonic

(he cell inflates due to +o change in the (he cell shrin:s and the water molecules enter size of cell. +et becomes soft and the cell. 2ventually it movement of dehydrated due to the bursts (thin plasma water is water molecule leave the membrane!. 2xample: red zero. 2xample: cell. 2xample: red blood blood cell in distilled red blood cell in cell in ?@ sodium water. =.>?@ sucrose chloride solution. solution. 0lant )ell (he cell expands and +o change in the (he cell becomes flaccid becomes firm turgid due size of cell. +et (plasmolysis occurs!* to the water molecules movement of vacuole and cytoplasm enter the cell. (he rigid water is shrin: due to the water cellulose cell wall zero. 2xample: molecules leave the expands slightly and strip of potato in cell. 2xample: strip of prevents cell from ?@ sucrose potato in #=@ sucrose bursting. 2xample: strip solution. solution.
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of potato in distilled water. Application 1. 8ood is soa:ed in a concentrated salt solution to prevent bacteria and fungus to survive. 2. )hemical fertilizer (dissolved ions! increases solute concentration (decrease water molecules! in soil. (herefore* water leaves from the cell sap of the plant which result the plant wither.

3nferring the concentration of the cell sap and the movement of substances across the plasma membrane

5bservation of potato strips placed in sucrose solution of different concentrations Mass 3ncreased +en,th 3ncreased

3nference as to the concentration Surcose solution Hypotonic )oncentration of water molecules higher Cell sap Hypertonic )oncentration of water molecules lower

2xplanations

+o change 1ecreased

+o change 1ecreased

3sotonic Hypertonic )oncentration of molecules lower

3sotonic Hypotonic )oncentration of water molecules higher

;ater molecule diffuse from sucrose solution across the plasma membrane into the cell sap (he movement is down the concentrated gradient of the water molecules +o net water movement )oncentration gradient of water molecules is zero ;ater molecules diffuse from cell sap across the plasma membrane into the sucrose solution. 6ovement is down the concentrated gradient of water mooolecules

(he phenomenon of ;itting in plants

;itting of plants is caused by the excessive use of chemical fertilizers. " plant wilts if bends towards the ground because of heat or a lac: of water. )hemical fertilizers scattered on the soil around plants easily dissolve* forming ions or solute. (he excessive use of chemical fertilizers release huge amount of ions such as phosphates* nitrates* calcium* magnesium and sulphur into the soil water. 1issolved ions increase solute concentration but !ecrease -ater molecules concentration in soil water* around the roots and root hairs. )ompared to the soil water* the vacuole sap now has a higher concentration* but a lower solute concentration. (his results water molecules diffusing from the cell sap into soil water by osmosis. ;ith water drawn out of the plant cell* the cytoplasm shrin:s away from the cellulose cell wall causing plasmolysis. 0lasmolysed cells lose turgidity and support* causing the whole plant to wilt.

(he preservation of food

8ood goes bad due to bacterial and fungi activities. (o ma:e food lasts for a long time* preservation is needed by using salt or sugar. " concentrated salt solution salt solution has a high concentration of solute (+a , and )l- ions! and very low concentration of water molecules. 3f we leave food ( such as fish or vegetable! in a concentrated salt solution* all the water molecules within the food are drawn out by osmosis* ma:ing the food $dry%. ;ithout water fungi and bacteria cannot survive. 3n a concentrated sugar solution* sugar molecules from the high concentration of solute* with a very low concentration of water molecule. 2xamples of food that uses sugar for preservations are longan* lychee and rambutan.

2xplain the +ecessity of movement of substances across the plasma membrane

)ells form the basic units of life.

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(o sustain life* the materials needs of the cells must be fulfilled. (his means that raw material needed by cells must be brought in and waste materials must be removed. "ll these life-sustaining metabolic activities ta:e place within the plasma membrane. (he fluid mosaic model is the current accepted model that helps to describe and explain the wor:ing wonders of the plasma membrane. (he ingenious molecular design of plasma membrane ensures that the movement of substance across it ta:es place in a continuous and controlled manner. Aearning about diffusion helps us to realize that the exchange of respiratory gases- oxygen and carbon dioxide & happens continuously with an inbuilt control that we call the diffusion gradient. (hen* there is the membrane-bound carrier protein which helps to facilitate the continuous diffusion of needed substances into the cell energy-free* but always under control. 5smosis helps in the inta:e and the removal of water molecules in a continuous and controlled manner. (he active transport mechanism* with the membrane-bound carrier proteins* ma:e sure that the Bdifficult to handleC substances re<uired by cells are brought in or removed continuously* but in a controlled manner.

&efinition " model conceived by 4.D. 4inger and .arth +icolson in 1EF2 to describe the structural features of biological membranes. Supplement (he plasma membrane is described to be fluid because of its hydrophobic integral components such as lipids and membrane proteins that move laterally or sideways throughout the membrane. (hat means the membrane is not solid* but more li:e a GfluidG. (he membrane is depicted as mosaic because li:e a mosaic that is made up of many different parts the plasma membrane is composed of different :inds of macromolecules* such as integral proteins* peripheral proteins* glycoproteins* phospholipids* glycolipids* and in some cases cholesterol*lipoproteins. "ccording to the model* the plasma membrane is a lipid bilayer (interspersed with proteins!. 3t is so because of its phospholipid component that can fold in itself creating a double layer - or bilayer - when placed in a polar surrounding* li:e water. (his structural feature of the membrane is essential to its functions* such as cellular transport and cell recognition.

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