chapter 5 Flashcards
(36 cards)
what’s the fluid mosaic mode
as the phospholipids are free to move within the layer relative to each other
how thick is phospholipid bilayer
7nm
what is the phospholipid bilayer
2 rows of phospholipids with the heads pointing outwards and fatty acid core
what’s the structure of a phospholipid
hydrophilic phosphate head
two fatty acid hydrophobic tails
how does the hydrophilic phosphate head help the cell
as cells are usually in an aqueous enviroment the hydrophilic heads allows for the cell to interact
what 5 things are in the cell membrane
proteins intrinsic
proteins extrinsic
cholesterol
glycoproteins
glycolipids
what are the 4 intrinsic proteins
channel proteins
carrier proteins
glycoproteins
glycolipids
How does cholesterol help stabilise the cell
- Cholesterol is a type of lipid
- It’s present in all cell membranes (except bacterial membranes)
- Cholesterol molecules fit between the phospholipids. They bind to the hydrophobic tails of the phospholipids, causing them to pack more closely together. This makes the membrane less fluid and more rigid
what’s an intrinsic proteins
imbedded into both layers of membrane
have amino acids and hydrophobic R groups
it interacts with the hydrophobic core of the membrane to keep in place
How do proteins control what enters and leaves the cell?
through channels made by proteins which allows small or charged particles through
carrier proteins transports ions and molecules
how do cells comunicate
- Cells communicate with each other using messenger molecules
- One cell releases a messenger molecule (eg. a hormone)
- This molecule travels (eg. in the blood)
- The messenger molecule is detected by the cell because it binds to a receptor on its cell membrane
how do receptors work in the membrane
- Cells communicate with each other using messenger molecules
- One cell releases a messenger molecule (eg. a hormone)
- This molecule travels (eg. in the blood)
- The messenger molecule is detected by the cell because it binds to a receptor on its cell membrane
what’s a glycolipid
How does cholesterol help stabilise the cell?
- Cholesterol is a type of lipid
- It’s present in all cell membranes (except bacterial membranes)
- Cholesterol molecules fit between the phospholipids. They bind to the hydrophobic tails of the phospholipids, causing them to pack more closely together. This makes the membrane less fluid and more rigid
it prevents the cell from becoming to solid as it stops the phospholipids from getting too close and crystalising
what are the functions of glycolipids and glycoproteins?
- Glycolipds and glycoproteins stabilise the membrane by forming hydrogen bonds with surrounding water molecules
- They’re also sites where drugs, hormones and antibodies bind
- They act as receptors for cell signalling
- They’re also antigens
how do drugs work
- Many drugs work by binding to receptors in cell membranes
- They either trigger a response in the cell, or block the receptor and prevent it from working
How do antihistamines work?
- Cell damage causes the release of histamine.
- Histamine binds to receptors on the surface of other cells and causes inflammation
- Antihistamines work by blocking histamine receptors on cell surfaces
- This prevents histamine from binding to the cell and stops inflammation
How could you investigate how temperature affects permeability?
- Cut five equal sized pieces of beetroot and rinse them to remove any pigment released during cutting
- Place each piece in a separate test tube with 5cm3 of water
- Place each test tube in a water bath at different temperatures for the same length of time
- Remove the pieces of beetroot from the tubes, leaving just the coloured liquid
- Use a colorimeter to see how much light is absorbed by the solution, the higher the absorbance, the higher the concentration of pigment
How does temperatures below 0 degrees affect membrane permeability?
- The phospholipids don’t have much energy, so they can’t move very much
- They’re packed closely together and the membrane is rigid
- But channel proteins and carrier proteins in the membrane deform, increasing the permeability of the membrane
- Ice crystals may form and pierce the membrane making it highly permeable when it thaws
how does the temperature 0 to 4 degrees affect membrane permeability
- The phospholipids can move around and aren’t packed as tightly together, the membrane is partially permeable
- As the temperature increases the phospholipids move more because they have more kinetic energy
- This increases the permeability of the membrane
How do temperatures above 40 degrees affect membrane permeability?
- The phospholipid bilayer starts to melt and the membrane becomes more permeable
- Water inside the cell expands, putting pressure on the membrane
- Channel proteins and carrier proteins deform so they can’t control what enters or leaves the cell, this increases the permeability of the membrane
How does changing the solvent affect membrane permeability?
- Surrounding cells in a solvent (such as ethanol) increases the permeability of their cell membranes
- This is because solvents dissolve the lipids in a cell membrane, so the membrane loses its structure
what is diffusion
- It’s the net movement of particles from an area of higher concentration to an area of lower concentration
- Diffusion is a passive process, no energy is needed for it to happen
Which molecules are able to diffuse through cell membranes?
- Small, non-polar molecules such as oxygen and carbon dioxide are able to diffuse easily through the spaces between phospholipids
- Water is also small enough to fit between phospholipids, so it’s able to diffuse across the membrane even though it’s polar