Biology 11- Lecture 3- Membrane Structure

Plasma membrane

Membrane Structure and

Function

This handout is for lecture use only and not

for commercial reproduction and
distribution.

boundary that separates the living cell from its

surroundings
exhibits selective permeability

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Plasma membrane structure

phospholipids are the most abundant lipid in the plasma

membrane

phospholipids are amphipathic molecules (hydrophobic and

hydrophilic regions)

Hydrophilic
head

A typical phospholipid: phosphatidylcholine

WATER

Hydrophobic
tail
WATER

fluid mosaic model

TECHNIQUE

RESULTS
Extracellular
layer

Phospholipid
bilayer

Proteins

Knife

Plasma membrane

Inside of extracellular layer

Cytoplasmic layer
Inside of cytoplasmic layer

Hydrophobic regions
of protein

Hydrophilic
regions of protein

Biology 11- Lecture 3- Membrane Structure

The fluidity of the membranes

The fluidity of the membranes

Fluid

Lateral movement
(107 times per second)

Flip-flop ( once per month)

Unsaturated hydrocarbon
tails with kinks

Viscous

Saturated hydrocarbon tails

(b) Membrane fluidity

most of the lipids, and some proteins, drift laterally

rarely does a molecule flip-flop transversely

Membrane Proteins and Their Functions

The fluidity of the membranes

A membrane is a collage of different proteins

embedded in the fluid matrix of the lipid bilayer
Proteins determine most of the membranes
specific functions
Cholesterol
(c) Cholesterol within the animal cell membrane

warm temperatures (37C), restrains movement of phospholipids

cool temperatures, maintains fluidity by preventing tight packing

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Fig. 7-7

Membrane Proteins and Their Functions

Fibers of
extracellular
matrix (ECM)

Glycoprotein

Carbohydrate
Glycolipid
EXTRACELLULAR
SIDE OF
MEMBRANE

Peripheral proteins - bound to the surface of

the membrane
Integral proteins - penetrate the hydrophobic
core

Cholesterol
Microfilaments
of cytoskeleton

Peripheral
proteins
Integral
protein
CYTOPLASMIC SIDE
OF MEMBRANE

Copyright 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Pearson Benjamin Cummings

Biology 11- Lecture 3- Membrane Structure

EXTRACELLULAR
SIDE

N-terminus

Six major functions of membrane proteins

Signaling molecule
Enzymes

C-terminus
Helix

CYTOPLASMIC
SIDE

transmembrane proteins - integral proteins that span the

membrane
hydrophobic regions consist of one or more stretches of
nonpolar amino acids, often coiled into alpha helices

Six major functions of membrane proteins

ATP
(a) Transport

Receptor

Signal transduction
(b) Enzymatic activity

(c) Signal transduction

Signal transduction occurs when an extracellular signaling molecule

activates a cell surface receptor. In turn, this receptor alters intracellular
molecules creating a response.

The Role of Membrane Carbohydrates in Cell-Cell

Recognition
cells recognize each other by
binding to surface molecules

Glycoprotein
Glycoprotein
(d) Cell-cell recognition

(e) Intercellular joining

(f) Attachment to
the cytoskeleton
and extracellular
matrix (ECM)

Membrane structure results in

selective permeability
a cell must exchange materials with its
surroundings
selectively permeable, regulating the cells
molecular traffic

cell-cell recognition

may be covalently bonded to

lipids (glycolipids) or more
commonly to proteins
(glycoproteins)
carbohydrates on the external
side of the plasma membrane
vary among species,
individuals, and even cell types
in an individual

The Permeability of the Lipid Bilayer

hydrophobic/nonpolar molecules
(hydrocarbons), can dissolve in the lipid bilayer
and pass through the membrane rapidly
polar molecules (sugars) do not cross the
membrane easily

Selective permeability means that the cell membrane has some

control over what can cross it, so that only certain molecules either
enter or leave the cell.

Copyright 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Pearson Benjamin Cummings

Copyright 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Pearson Benjamin Cummings

Biology 11- Lecture 3- Membrane Structure

Transport Proteins

Transport Proteins

- allow passage of hydrophilic substances across

the membrane
1. channel proteins have a hydrophilic channel
that certain molecules or ions can use as a
tunnel
2. aquaporins facilitate the passage of water

3. carrier proteins bind to molecules and change

shape to shuttle them across the membrane
- a transport protein is specific for the substance it
moves

Copyright 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Pearson Benjamin Cummings

Copyright 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Pearson Benjamin Cummings

Passive transport
Molecules of dye

Membrane (cross section)

WATER

Net diffusion

Net diffusion

Net diffusion

Equilibrium

Net diffusion

Diffusion is the movement of molecules from a high concentration to a low

concentration.
diffusion of a substance across a membrane with no energy investment

water diffuses
across a
membrane from
the region of
lower solute
concentration to
the region of
higher solute
concentration

Net diffusion

Equilibrium
Equilibrium

(b) Diffusion of two solutes

(a) Diffusion of one solute

Osmosis

Net diffusion

Lower
concentration
of solute (sugar)

Higher
concentration
of sugar

Same concentration
of sugar

substances diffuse down their concentration

gradient

Water Balance of Cells

Tonicity - ability of a solution to cause a cell to
gain or lose water

H2O
Selectively
permeable
membrane

Isotonic solution - solute concentration is the

same as that inside the cell
Hypertonic solution - solute concentration is
greater than that inside the cell
Hypotonic solution - solute concentration is less
than that inside the cell

Osmosis is the movement of solvent molecules

through a selectively-permeable membrane into a
region of higher solute concentration, aiming to
equalize the solute concentrations on the two sides.
Osmosis

Copyright 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Pearson Benjamin Cummings

Biology 11- Lecture 3- Membrane Structure

50 m

Filling vacuole
Hypotonic solution
H2O

Isotonic solution

Hypertonic solution

H2O

H2O

H2O

Osmoregulation
- the control of water
balance

(a) Animal
cell

Lysed
H2O

Normal
H2O

(a) A contractile vacuole fills with fluid that enters from

a system of canals radiating throughout the cytoplasm.

Shriveled

Contracting vacuole

H2O

H2O

(b) Plant

cell
Turgid (normal)
(swollen)

(plasma membrane pulls

Plasmolyzed
away from
the cell wall )

Flaccid

(inelastic)

(b) When full, the vacuole and canals contract, expelling

fluid from the cell.

Facilitated Diffusion
Transport proteins speed the passive movement
of molecules

EXTRACELLULAR
FLUID

Channel protein

Solute
CYTOPLASM

(a) A channel protein

(a) Channel protein

Channel proteins provide corridors that allow a

specific molecule or ion to cross the membrane

(b) Carrier protein

channel proteins include:

1. Aquaporins, for facilitated diffusion of water
2. Ion channels that open or close in response to a
stimulus (gated channels)

Copyright 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Pearson Benjamin Cummings

Active transport

Carrier protein

Solute

moves substances against their concentration

gradient
requires energy, usually in the form of ATP
performed by specific proteins embedded in the
membranes

(b) A carrier protein

Carrier proteins undergo a subtle change in shape

that translocates the solute-binding site across the
membrane
Copyright 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Pearson Benjamin Cummings

Biology 11- Lecture 3- Membrane Structure

Active transport

EXTRACELLULAR
FLUID

Na+
Na+

Na+

allows cells to maintain concentration gradients

that differ from their surroundings
The sodium-potassium pump is one type of
active transport system

Na+

[Na+] high
[K+] low

Na+

Na+

Na+

Na+

CYTOPLASM

Na+

[Na+] low
[K+] high

1 Cytoplasmic Na+ binds to

the sodium-potassium pump.

P
ADP

ATP

2 Na+ binding stimulates

phosphorylation by ATP.

3 Phosphorylation causes protein to

change shape. Na+ is expelled to
the outside.

P
P

6 K+ is released, and the

cycle repeats.
Copyright 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Pearson Benjamin Cummings

Passive transport

Active transport

5 Loss of the phosphate

restores the proteins original

shape.

4 K+ binds on the extracellular side

and triggers release of PO4 group.

How Ion Pumps Maintain Membrane Potential

Membrane potential is the voltage difference
across a membrane
Voltage is created by differences in the
distribution of positive and negative ions

ATP
Diffusion

Facilitated diffusion

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How Ion Pumps Maintain Membrane Potential

How Ion Pumps Maintain Membrane Potential

Two combined forces, collectively called the

electrochemical gradient, drive the diffusion of
ions across a membrane:

an electrogenic pump is a transport protein that

generates voltage across a membrane

a chemical force (the ions concentration gradient)

an electrical force (the effect of the membrane
potential on the ions movement)

Copyright 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Pearson Benjamin Cummings

the sodium-potassium pump is the major

electrogenic pump of animal cells
the main electrogenic pump of plants, fungi,
and bacteria is a proton pump

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Biology 11- Lecture 3- Membrane Structure

EXTRACELLULAR
+FLUID

ATP

H+
H+

Proton
pump

H+

H+
H+

Cotransport: Coupled Transport by a

Membrane Protein
occurs when active transport of a solute
indirectly drives transport of another solute
plants use the gradient of hydrogen ions
generated by proton pumps to drive active
transport of nutrients (e.g. sugar) into the cell

CYTOPLASM

H+

Using ATP for power, a proton pump translocates positive charge in

the form of hydrogen ions (protons). The voltage and H+ concentration
gradient represent a dual energy source that can drive other
processes, such as the uptake of nutrients.
Copyright 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Pearson Benjamin Cummings

ATP

H+
H+

Proton pump

H+

H+

H+
H+ Diffusion
of H+

Sucrose-H+
cotransporter
Sucrose

H+

H+
+
+

Sucrose

A carrier protein such as this sucrose-H+ cotransporter is able to use the diffusion of H+
down its electrochemical gradient into the cell to drive the uptake of sucrose. The W
gradient is maintained by an ATP-driven proton pump that concentrates H' outside the cell,
thus storing potential energy that can be used for active transport, in
this case of sucrose. Thus, ATP is indirectly providing the energy necessary for cotransport.

Bulk transport
small molecules and water enter or leave the
cell through the lipid bilayer or by transport
proteins
large molecules ( e.g. polysaccharides and
proteins) cross the membrane in bulk via
vesicles
requires energy
occurs by exocytosis and endocytosis

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Exocytosis

Endocytosis

Transport vesicles migrate to the membrane,

fuse with it, and release their contents
used by many secretory cells to export their
products

the cell takes in macromolecules by forming vesicles

from the plasma membrane
a reversal of exocytosis, involving different proteins
three types:
phagocytosis (cellular eating)
pinocytosis (cellular drinking)
receptor-mediated endocytosis

Copyright 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Pearson Benjamin Cummings

Copyright 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Pearson Benjamin Cummings

Biology 11- Lecture 3- Membrane Structure

Phagocytosis

Pinocytosis

a cell engulfs a particle in a vacuole

the vacuole fuses with a lysosome to digest the
particle

molecules are taken up when extracellular fluid

is gulped into tiny vesicles
PINOCYTOSIS

PHAGOCYTOSIS
EXTRACELLULAR
FLUID

0.5 m

1 m

CYTOPLASM

Plasma
membrane

Pseudopodium

Pinocytosis vesicles
forming (arrows) in
a cell lining a small
blood vessel (TEM)

Pseudopodium
of amoeba

Food or
other particle

Vesicle

Bacterium
Food
vacuole

Food vacuole
An amoeba engulfing a bacterium
via phagocytosis (TEM)

Copyright 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Pearson Benjamin Cummings

Copyright 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Pearson Benjamin Cummings

Receptor-mediated endocytosis

Passive transport: Facilitated diffusion

Coat protein

Receptor

Coated
vesicle

binding of ligands to
receptors triggers
vesicle formation
a ligand is any
molecule that binds
specifically to a
receptor site of
another molecule

Coated
pit
Ligand

A coated pit
and a coated
vesicle formed
during
receptormediated
endocytosis
(TEMs)

Coat
protein

Channel
protein

Carrier
protein

Plasma
membrane
0.25 m

Active transport

ATP