Cell Membrane Transport

CELL MEMBRANE or Plasma Membrane

-A thin semi-permeable membrane that surrounds the cytoplasm of a cell. It is a double layer of lipids
and proteins that surrounds a cell and separates the cytoplasm (the contents of the cell) from its
surrounding environment.
-A semipermeable membrane allows molecules of a certain size to pass through

PLASMA MEMBRANE
-Its function is to protect the integrity of the interior of the cell by allowing certain substances into the
cell while keeping other substances out. It regulates what enters and exits the cell so that it doesn’t lose
too many nutrients, or take in too many ions. It also does a pretty good job of keeping harmful things
out..
- It also serves as a base of attachment for the cytoskeleton in some organisms and the cell wall in
others. Thus the cell membrane also serves to help support the cell and help maintain its shape.

Fluid Mosaic Model

-It was first proposed by S.J. Singer and Garth L. Nicolson in 1972 to explain the structure of the
plasma membrane.
-It describes the structure of a cell membrane. It indicates that the cell membrane is not solid. It is
flexible and has a similar consistency to vegetable oil, so all the individual molecules are just floating
in a fluid medium, and they are all capable of moving sideways within the cell membrane. Mosaic
refers to something that contains many different parts. The plasma membrane is a mosaic of
phospholipids, cholesterol molecules, proteins and carbohydrates.

Phospholipid Bilayer
-These are lipid molecules made up of a phosphate group head and two fatty acid tails which allow
them to spontaneously form a double-layered membrane.
They are amphiphilic meaning it has both a hydrophobic and a hydrophilic component.

Cholesterol
these are molecules that are selectively dispersed between membrane phospholipids. This helps to keep
cell membranes from becoming stiff by preventing phospholipids from being too closely packed
together.

Membrane proteins can be classified into two broad categories —

Integral Proteins (intrinsic - belonging naturally; essential)
Integral membrane proteins function as transporters, channels, linkers, receptors, proteins
involved in accumulation energy, and proteins responsible for cell adhesion.

Peripheral Proteins (extrinsic-not part of the essential nature of someone or something; coming or
operating from outside.)
peripheral proteins directs and maintain he intracellular cytoskeleton

Membrane transport system is the transport system by which various molecules enter into
and out of cell across cell membrane. Cells have various transport mechanism. Based on whether the
molecules pass directly through lipid bilayer or via membrane channel, whether or not the molecules is
altered as it passes through membrane, whether or not the process require energy, membrane transport
system is categorized into two major groups.

PASSIVE TRANSPORT
Passive transport mechanism does not require cellular energy to transport molecules across cell
membrane. So it is a passive process. Passive transport does not work against concentration gradient. In
this transport system, molecules are transported from its higher concentration to the lower
concentration until concentration gradient is diminished.
Simple diffusion
Small noncharged molecules or lipid soluble molecules pass between the phospholipids to enter or
leave the cell, moving from areas of high concentration to areas of low concentration (they move down
their concentration gradient). Oxygen and carbon dioxide and most lipids enter and leave cells by
simple diffusion.
Osmosis
Osmosis is a type of simple diffusion in which water molecules diffuse through a selectively permeable
membrane from areas of high water concentration to areas of lower water concentration. (Note that the
more particles dissolved in a solution, the less water there is in it, so osmosis is sometimes described as
the diffusion of water from areas of low solute concentration to areas of high solute concentration).
FACILITATED DIFFUSION
In facilitated diffusion, substances move into or out of cells down their concentration gradient through
protein channels in the cell membrane. Simple diffusion and facilitated diffusion are similar in that both
involve movement down the concentration gradient. The difference is how the substance gets through
the cell membrane. In simple diffusion, the substance passes between the phospholipids; in facilitated
diffusion there are a specialized membrane channels. Charged or polar molecules that cannot fit
between the phospholipids generally enter and leave cells through facilitated diffusion.

Active transport
It requires transporter protein and continuous supply of cellular energy for the transport of molecules
across concentration gradient of the membrane. Active transport is very important to transport the
molecules which are present in very low concentration in the medium. In active transport, transporter
protein carries the molecules across the membrane and the energy required to transport is obtained by
ATP or Ion gradient.
PRIMARY ACTIVE TRANSPORT
In primary active transport, hydrolysis of energy rich molecules such as ATP provide energy required
for transport of molecules form lower concentration to higher concentration across membrane.
SECONDARY ACTIVE TRANSPORT
In secondary active transport, one type of molecule migrates from higher concentration to lower
concentration, releasing energy. This released energy is used to transport other molecule from its lower
concentration to higher concentration across cell membrane.