Membrane: Structure and Function Chapter 5.10+
What you need to know! Why membranes are selectively permeable. The fluid mosaic model structure. The role of phospholipids, proteins, and carbohydrates in membranes.
All Membranes Barriers between interior and exterior Help maintain homeostasis Allow for compartmentalization (eukaryotes) Semi-permeable (selectively) permeable Permeable: gas, H2O, entering nutrients, exiting waste Impermeable: harmful substances, microorganisms Controls ion exchange Made from phospholipids
Phospholipid Bilayer Phospholipids in water will form a bilayer The heads are hydrophilic and face outward (toward water) The fatty acid tails are hydrophobic and face inward (away from water)
Fluid Mosaic Model Structure can be observed with EM Mosaic of floating phospholipids with cholesterol, proteins, and carbohydrates (glycoproteins/ glycolipids) Flexible and in constant motion Think of a soap bubble skin rather than saran wrap http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rl5EmUQdkuI
Fluidity Unsaturated fatty acids create kinked tails which help spread out the membrane and maintains fluidity Cholesterol embedded in animal membranes helps maintain fluidity
Proteins Add Function Transport Proteins: move things in and out of the cell Enzymes: catalyze chemical reactions inside or outside of the cell Signal proteins: signal molecules outside the cell trigger chain reactions inside the cell
Extracellular Matrix (ECM) Glycolipids & glycoproteins are carbohydrates attached either to proteins or phospholipids These act as cell labels for cell-cell identification Important in development and immune system recognition Animal Cells: Glycoproteins also act as glue, holding cells together: Tight Junctions: leak-proof sheet (digestive tract) Anchoring junctions strong and flexible (skin and muscles) Gap junctions: passages from one cell to the next for fast transport (heart coordination)
Plant Cells Plants do not have an ECM The cells are stacked, one on top of the other with little room for extracellular molecules Plasmodesma: channel between plant cells Fast transport of water nourishment and chemical messages (hormones)