Chapter 3: The movement of Substances across the Plasma Membrane

The necessity for the movement of substances across a plasma membrane are:
a) Cells need water, nutrients and oxygen. b) Cells produce waste product which exit through the plasma membrane. c) The plasma membrane control the types and the amounts of substances needed by the cell at any one time.

External environment

Cell

Cytoplasm

Nucleus
Plasma membrane

Movement of substances out of the cell Movement of substances into the cell Figure 3.1: Movement of substances in and out of the cell

Plasma Membrane Function

Protect and separate the interior part (protoplasm) from external environment. Maintain specific shape of the cell. Act as semipermeable or selective barrier ,does not allow entry of all molecules inside the cell. Help to adhere with adjacent cells to form tissue. Maintains connection with adjacent cells via pores on membrane known as plasmodesmata(in plants)and desmosome(in animals) Helps in transport across the membrane via osmosis and diffusion. Allow transport of molecules(mainly protein) against concentration gradient via active transport. Contains ion channels which help in active transport. exocytosis (excretion of waste outside the cell) and endocytosis (intake of large particles inside the cell). (phagocytes) include important role in immunity Receptor proteins present on cell surface(in plasma membrane) plays important role in cell signalling.

The structure of the plasma membrane

 Singer and Nicholson : fluid mosaic model (1972) The basic unit : phospholipid molecule, proteins

Structure of the Plasma Membrane

There are proteins on the outer & inner surfaces of the plasma membrane. Some proteins penetrate partially through the membrane, others penetrate completely. The phospholipid bilayer is permeable to diffusion of small uncharged molecules such as O2 & CO2.

Structure of the Plasma Membrane

Two types of transport protein :
Channel / pore proteins have pore to facilitate diffusion of particular ions / molecules across the PM. Some carrier proteins have binding sites that bind to specific molecules such as glucose @ amino acids alter their shape to facilitate the diffusion of solutes. Other carrier proteins function in active transport an energized carrier protein actively pumps the solute across the cell membrane against the concentration gradient.

The phospholipid molecule consists of:

a) A polar head gives Hydrophilic property means water-loving or attracted to water molecule b) A pair of non-polar fatty acid tails gives Hydrophobic water-hating, or repelling water molecules.

In this phospholipid bilayer the:

a) Hydrophilic heads points outwards facing water molecule on both sides. b) Hydrophobic tails points inwards, away from water molecules.

Other molecule present in the plasma membrane are:

a) Cholesterol -rigid and stable. b) Carrier protein and channel protein movement of water-soluble ions c) Glycolipids -lipids and polysaccharides, cells recognisation d) Glycoprotein -protein and polysaccharides, cells recognisation

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The Permeability of Plasma Membrane

Membrane permeability
A quality of a cells plasma membrane that allows substances to pass in and out of it, so that
the cell can expel waste products and ship out the chemicals it assembles for the body nutrients that the cell needs can pass through the membrane to the inside.

Cell membranes have selective permeability, meaning that they will allow certain substances to pass while forming a barrier against others.

MECHANISM OF MOVEMENT OF SUBSTANCES ACROSS THE PLASMA MEMBRANE

PERMEABILITY A semipermeable @ partially permeable membrane = selectively permeable to small molecules such as water & glucose.
Does not permit large molecule to move through it.

Examples : egg membrane, plasma membrane of living cells & cellaphone membrane of the Visking tubing.

MECHANISM OF MOVEMENT OF SUBSTANCES ACROSS THE PLASMA MEMBRANE

A permeable membrane permeable to the many solvent (water) & solute molecules diffusion can occur. Example : cellulose cell wall of plant cell An impermeable membrane not allow substances to diffuse through it. Example : the impermeable polythene membrane.

The phospholipid bilayer is permeable to

Non-polar molecules (lipid soluble)

Non-polar molecules (lipid soluble)

 The phospholipid bilayer is permeable to: a)Small non-polar (hydrophobic) molecules that are lipid-soluble, such as fatty acids, glycerol, steroid, vitamin A, D, E and K. b)Small uncharged molecules, such as water, oxygen and carbon dioxide. These molecules are small enough to squeeze through between the phospholipid gaps by simple diffusion or osmosis down their respective concentration gradients.
Substances that are non-polar and lipid-soluble can diffuse in and out a plasma membrane. Lipid soluble means able to dissolve in fats.

The phospholipid bilayer is not permeable to

Polar molecules (lipidinsoluble)

Charged ions

 The phospholipid bilayer is not permeable to:

a)Large polar molecule, that are not soluble in lipid, such as glucose, amino acids, nucleic acids and polysaccharides. b)Ions (charged), regardless of size, such as: H+, Na+, HCO3-, K+, Ca+, and Mg+

Polar substances are not able to pass through the cell membrane because the heads will repel them; the charged substances repel other charged substances, much like two magnets. The cell membrane is also impermeable to substances that are not lipidsoluble, as they are unable to pass through the lipids of the membrane.