2.B.

1 Cell Membranes

Cell membranes are selectively

permeable due to their structure.
Cellular membranes are fluid mosaics of
lipids and proteins that are continuously
moving in a fluid lipid bilayer.
 Cell membranes separate the internal
environment of the cell from the external
environment.
 Phospholipids are a major
component of the cell membrane.
• Amphipathic: have
hydrophobic and hydrophillic
regions.
• The hydrophilic phosphate
portions of the phospholipids
are oriented toward
the aqueous external or
internal environments.
• The hydrophobic fatty acid
portions face each other
within the interior of the
membrane itself.
Phospholipid bilayer
 Phospholipids can move laterally and
occasionally flip-flop to the other side of the
membrane.

Lateral movement Flip-flop

(107 times per second) ( once per month)

(a) Movement of phospholipids

Temperature increases phospholipid movement.
Integral membrane proteins are integrated
into the phospholipid bilayer.
Transmembrane proteins extend from one
side of a membrane to the other. Many
function as gateways for the transport of
specific substances across the membrane.
 Membrane proteins have hydrophilic and
hydrophobic regions. Many can be induced to
change their conformation, resulting in an
activation of their biological activity.
Peripheral proteins are loosely bound to
the membrane surface.
 Membrane Carbohydrates

• Attached to
membrane and
membrane-bound
proteins.
Membrane carbohydrates are important in
cell-cell recognition.

• Cells recognize each other by

binding to surface molecules, often
carbohydrates, on the plasma
membrane.
• Glycolipids: important in cell
signaling.
• Glycoproteins: more common, vary
among species, individuals, and
even cell types in an individual.
 Fibers of
extracellular
matrix (ECM)

Glyco- Carbohydrate
protein
Glycolipid
EXTRACELLULAR
SIDE OF
MEMBRANE

Cholesterol

Microfilaments Peripheral
of cytoskeleton proteins
Integral
protein
CYTOPLASMIC SIDE
OF MEMBRANE
Membrane Protein Functions:

• Transport
• Enzymatic activity
• Signal transduction
• Cell-cell recognition
• Intercellular joining
• Attachment to the
cytoskeleton and
extracellular matrix (ECM)
 Transmembrane
glycoproteins

Membranes Secretory
protein
have distinct Glycolipid

inside and 2

outside faces.

Transmembrane
glycoprotein
Secreted
protein

Membrane glycolipid
 Membrane structure results in selective
permeability.
• Small molecules, or
hydrophobic (nonpolar)
molecules, can dissolve in
the lipid bilayer and pass
through the membrane
rapidly.
• Polar molecules, or large
molecules, do not cross the
membrane easily.
 Transport Proteins

• Transport proteins allow passage of hydrophilic

substances across the membrane
• Some transport proteins, called channel
proteins, have a hydrophilic channel that certain
molecules or ions can use as a tunnel
Aquaporins are channel proteins that allow
water to diffuse through the membrane.
Cholesterol molecules add firmness and
integrity to the plasma membrane and
prevent it from becoming overly fluid or
overly firm.
Cell walls exist in plants, fungi, and
bacteria. They provide a structural
boundary as well as a permeability
barrier.
 Plant cell walls are made of cellulose
and are external to the cell membrane.
Prokaryotic cell walls are made of
peptidoglycan.
 Fungal cell walls are made of chitin, the
same substance in arthropod exoskeletons.
 Learning Objectives
LO 2.10 The student is able to use
representations and models to pose scientific
questions about the properties of cell
membranes and selective permeability based
on molecular structure. [See SP 1.4, 3.1]
LO 2.11 The student is able to construct models
that connect the movement of molecules
across membranes with membrane structure
and function. [See SP 1.1, 7.1, 7.2]