Chapter 6: Plasma Membrane

I) Overview: Organization of the Cell

A) Surface
1) Plasma Membrane
2) Cell wall (prokaryotes- peptidoglycan & plants-polysacharides)
3) Flagellum- long whiplike tail- moving, swimming or Cilium- shortwhiskerlike,
cell attachment

B) Cytoplasm [w/w-out] Compartments

1) Cytosol aqueous; water with dissolved ions, small molecules, soluble
macromolecules
2) Compartments (eukaryotes) membrane-enclosed organellesnucleus, ER,
golgi Apparatus, lysosomes, vesicles

C) Other structures
1) Nucleoid (prokaryotes) region where DNA located
2) Ribosomes complexes of protein and RNA
3) Cytoskeleton not compartment; not membrane-bound; not an organelle
4) Centrioles and Spindle Apparatus move chromosomes during mitosis

D) Comparison: Prokaryotic vs Eukaryotic animal vs Plant

II) Plasma Membrane

also called plasmalemma or cytoplasmic membrane
allows cells (animal, plant) to have compartments
A) Unit Membrane = 3D piece/patch
1. Phosphilipids
2. Steroids (cholesterol, other)
3. proteins
1) Phospholipid Structure
Amphipathic- Both hydrophilic and hydrophobic
Spontaneous arrangement in aqueous environment
16 C or more hydrophobic line up with each other. Water is excluded..water on
outide to attract with head groups vice versa
Have cis double bond produce a kink in the chain
In between phospholipids (bilayer) 8 nm
Cytoplamic leaflet-inner leaflet
Hydrocarbon chains cis
Diffuse
Rarely flip-flop- top stays in the top
Glycolipids- p-lipids with sugar chains attached only occur on the outer

2) Steroid Structure
proper amt cholesterol/steroid keep membrane at certain fluidity
at 37oC, cholest. decr. P-lipid movement
at 37oC, cholest. inhibits P-lipid packing
Cholesterol necessary for fluidity only in animals
1.Help inhibit phospholipid packing
2.Inhibits some phospholipid movement

Basic functional barrier arrangement, but.

Membranes have more than just barrier function
3) Proteins [Membrane Proteins]
makes membranes different from one another (components; cells)
2 major types:
1.Integral penetrate completely or partially
2.peripheral associate with membrane but dont penetrate
Not ebery protein will have a sugar attached
glycoproteins

 Fluid Mosaic Model

Phospholipid..different proteins in the plasmid membrane
Get through= small molecules

B) Plasma Membrane and Cell Recognition, Cell Adhesion

made possible by membrane proteins/glycoproteins
allow formation of multicellular organisms via tissue and organ formation

1) Cell-Cell Recognition
-Interaction between surface glycoprotein
-Ex. Sponge disassembly and reassembly

2) Cell-Cell Adhesion
-- junctions via:

i. tight junctions- forms a chemical barrier

ii. Desmosomes- mechanical connections
iii. Gap junctions- channels in bewtween cell

communication
Ex: Epithelial tissue

3) Cell-Matrix Adhesion- ECM

-- cells bind to extracellular matrix (collagen & proteoglycans)
-- important for integrity of tissues
******Integrin's- transmembrane proteins allow reversible binding
Top= ECM bottom is cyroplasmic
Left = active/ Right= inactive protein changed shape and let go

III) Permeability of Membrane -- movement across/thru

Selectively Permeable- allows some things through, but not others
(differentially permeable)
b/c Fluid Mosaic transient openings
What gets through?
1. small molecules
2. hydrophobic
3. other molecules large or charged need assistance with
channels, carriers or pumps

Crossing membrane can be

Passive- no energy required by the cell
Active- energy required ATP(high energy) to ADP (lower energy) some will
be used for work

A) Diffusion
-- random movement of particles causing them to distribute evenly in space
-Needs a concentration gradient for net diffusion
-Very fast over short diances (1-2 micrmetrs), very slow for long distances (1 cm)
-Start time =0 on picture all the way to the left .middle would have a graph of conc
on left times distance on bottom it would linearly decrease . Slope = conc gradient
diffusion runs down its concentration gradient .. Diffusion is linearly decreasing also
from high to low . 3rd graph is equilibrium if were to plot conc vs distance
conc on left distance on bottom its a horizontal line a flat line ..net diffusion is
zero..still diffusion but no net diffusion

B) Passive Movement- diffusion

-- diffusion through selectively permeable membrane

1) Dialysis
- movement through selectively permeable membrane ex. 8 kDa
-- allows separation of different solutes (e.g. based on size MWCO;

Soln A
Circles
and
dots 2
differen
t sized
molecul
es
2) Osmosis

based on solubility hydrophobic?)

Soln B
Jyst
water
only
Big
cant
cross

- movement of water/solvent thru selectively permeable membrane

-- works off water/solvent gradient

Soln A

Soln B

Osmotic Pressure (OP)

- Hydrostatic Pressure applied to soln to keep water from moving in
-- by definition, pure water has OP = 0
- water moves into solution that has greater osmotic pressure
Solute + H2O

Soln A

Soln B

OP > 0

OP = 0

H2O only

Molarity / Solute Drag- water moves toward solution of greater molarity

Solute + H2O

Soln A

0.5 M

Soln B

0.2 M

Solute + H2O

Tonicity
-- refers to soln ability to affect the tone/shape of cell by influencing water
movement through plasma membrane
-- terms used only when comparing solutions:
1.Hypertonic higher solute conc than soln being compared to- 500 m Osm
2.Isotonic same solute conc as soln being compared to- 300 mOsm
3.Hypotonic-lower solute conc than soluntion being compared to 150 mOSm
All refer to the bath solution

C) Facilitated Diffusion via Channel Proteins

-- passive movement aided by channel proteins
integral membrane protein has pore
open vs closed depends on conds
1. ligand-gated- chemical/ molecule
2. voltage-gated- membrane voltage
3. mechanically-gated- stretch activated
still need concentration gradient
Diffusion always down a conc gradient
Channel can be selective
K+ channels
Na+ channels
Cl- channels

Water can cross biological membranes unassisted

Aquaporins

D) Facilitated Diffusion via Carrier Proteins

-- integral membrane proteins must bind transported cargo molecule

Transport Maximum (Tm)

IV) Active Transport Across Biological Membrane

A) Pump

Ex: Primary Active Transport: Na+-K+ Pump

Ex: Secondary Active Transport: Na+-Glucose cotransport

-- works off gradient established by Primary Active pump

Drugs and toxins can target transporters

V) Large Molecule Transport (active mechanisms)

A) Endocytosis

B) Exocytosis