1. Empowering Teachers Through Modeling
Many Models of Membranes!

2. Workshop Learning Objectives
Educators attending this workshop will:
Utilize tools that can support the NGSS student learning outcomes of three dimensional lesson design.
Phospholipid Modeling Set©
Phospholipid and Membrane Transport Kit ©
The Landscapes of David Goodsell ©
3D Printed Models
Learn something new and interesting that is for your own professional development.
HAVE FUN!

3. Workshop Learning Objectives
What NGSS dimensions will be targeted?
SEPs
CCCs
DCIs
Asking questions
Patterns
PS1.A: Structure and properties of matter
Developing and using models
Cause and effect
PS1.B: Chemical reactions
Constructing explanations
Scale, proportion, and quantity
LS1.A: Structure and function
Structure and function
LS1.C: Organization for matter and energy flow in organisms

4. The Ins and Outs of Membranes: phospholipids
Examine the phospholipid molymod at your table.
Record your observations and answers to each of the following:
1. Describe the overall structure of your model.
2. What atoms are present in your model and what color represents each of these atoms?
3. What other observations or questions do you have about your model?
4. Compare and contrast your group’s phospholipid to another group’s phospholipid.
5. Make note of any similarities.
Make note of any differences.
Speculate why a cell membrane would have different phospholipids.

5. The Ins and Outs of Membranes: phospholipids
The Outer Leaflet
Phosphatidylcholine
Sphingomyelin

6. The Ins and Outs of Membranes: phospholipids
The Inner Leaflet
Phosphatidylethanolamine
Phosphatidylserine
Phosphatidylinositol

7. The Ins and Outs of Membranes: phospholipids
GOALS of Developing and Using Models
Construct drawings or diagrams as representations of events or systems.
Represent and explain phenomena with multiple types of models.

8. The Ins and Outs of Membranes: phospholipids
Hydrogens in the cis configuration
Produces a larger “kink” in the tail

9. The Ins and Outs of Membranes: phospholipids
Hydrogens in the trans configuration
Produces a smaller “kink” in the tail

10. Constructing the cell membrane

11. constructing the cell membrane
Step 3: Combine the H and the OH to form water.
Step 1: Remove one of the hydrogen (H) atoms from the glycerol.
Step 2: Remove the hydroxyl (OH) group from the fatty acid.

12. constructing the cell membrane
Step 4: Remove one of the hydrogen (H) atoms from the glycerol.
Step 5: Repeat the process with the unsaturated fatty acid.

13. constructing the cell membrane
Step 6: Remove the final H from the glycerol and the OH from the phospholipid head. Combine the H and the OH. Find the phospholipid head to the glycerol backbone.

14. constructing the cell membrane
A Series of Gedanken Experiments!
First Thought Experiment:
How would ten phospholipids need to be arranged to form a film at the top of a beaker of water?

15. constructing the cell membrane
A Series of Gedanken Experiments!
Second Thought Experiment:
How would the ten phospholipids need to be arranged in order to be submerged in a beaker of water?

16. constructing the cell membrane
A Series of Gedanken Experiments!
Third Thought Experiment:
How would the phospholipids need to be arranged if they were to be submerged AND contain water?
(You may use as many phospholipids as needed in the kit.)

17. crossing the cell membrane
How does a polar molecule, like water, diffuse through a largely hydrophobic bilayer?

18. crossing the cell membrane
It gets by with a little help from its friend. . .
AQUAPORIN!

19. 2003 Nobel Prize in chemistry
-For discoveries concerning channels in cell membranes
Peter Agre
- for the discovery of aquaporins, proteins that govern the movement of water in and out of cells.

20. 2003 Nobel Prize in chemistry
-For discoveries concerning channels in cell membranes
Roderick MacKinnon
- for structural and mechanistic studies of ion channels.

21. How was Aquaporin discovered?
Postdoctorate Fellow, Gregory Preston
This is what experimental success jubilation looks like!
Exploding Frog Eggs!

22. crossing the cell membrane
Observe and count the helices!

23. crossing the cell membrane
What happens to the orientation of the water molecules as they pass through the channel?
Find the two asparagines.

24. crossing the cell membrane
The models are to scale and magnified 20 million times their actual size!

25. crossing the cell membrane
Explore other channels!
GLUT Carrier Protein
Aquaporin
Gated Potassium Channel
Potassium Leak Channel
Sodium-Potassium Pump

26. crossing the cell membrane
Use the GLUT Carrier Protein to model passive transport with a carrier protein.

27. crossing the cell membrane
Use the Sodium-Potassium Pump to model active transport!