FINAL Flashcards
what are two organelles that are specific to animal cells?
- extracellular matrix: specialised material outside the cell
- lysosome: degradation of cellular components that are no longer needed
what are three organelles that are not found in animal cells but are found in plant cells and some other cells?
- cell wall
- vacuole (2 types)
- chloroplast
cell wall two functions
- cell shape
- protection against mechanical stress
vacuoles two functions
- degradation (like animal lysosome)
- storage (small molecules and proteins)
chloroplast function
- site of photosynthesis
distinguish between the cytoplasm, the cytosol, and the lumen
- cytoplasm: contents of the cell outside the nucleus (membrane-bound organelles)
- cytosol: aqueous part of the cytoplasm. does not include membrane-bound organelles, does include ribosomes and cytoskeleton
- lumen: inside of organelles
what cellular functions occur at membranes?
- compartmentalisation
- scaffold for biochemical activities
- selectively permeable barrier
- transport solutes
- respond to external signals
- interactions between cells
describe the model proposed by Singer and Nicolson in 1972
Fluid Mosaic Model of the Membrane
- fluid: due to mobility of lipids and some of the proteins
- mosaic: many different lipids and many different proteins
- lipid bilayer: = 1 membrane consisting of two layers of leaflets
define amphipathic molecules
have different biochemical/biophysical properties on different sides of the molecule
what makes phospholipid molecules amphipathic?
they have a hydrophilic/polar head and hydrophobic tails
state three types of lipids that membranes are composed of
- phospholipids
- sterols
- glycolipids
all have hydrophilic heads as well as hydrophobic tails
phospholipids
- there are different types of membrane phospholipids
- most have a glycerol group (termed phosphoglycerides, of which there are different types)
general structure of a phospholipid
polar head group (hydrophilic):
- different groups
- phosphate
glycerol
hydrocarbon tails
- length: 14-24 carbon atoms
- saturated/unsaturated
kink
- hydrocarbon tail is unsaturated
- contains a cis-double bond
- this causes a bend in the tail
what happens to phospholipids in aqueous environments?
- they spontaneously self-associate into a bilayer
- the polar head group interacts with water
- the two hydrophobic hydrocarbon tails interact with other hydrophobic tails
how are sealed compartments formed by phospholipid bilayers?
- a planar phospholipid bilayer is energetically unfavourable as the hydrophobic tails are exposed to water along the edges)
- the formation of a sealed compartment shields hydrophobic tails from water
define liposomes and describe their uses
artificial lipid bilayers used to:
1. study lipid properties
2. study membrane protein properties
3. drug delivery into cells (nanotechnology)
how can membrane fluidity be visualised?
live cell imaging where laser tweezers are used to manipulate the membrane show that a membrane can be deformed without causing damage
describe the different types of phospholipid movement within cell membranes
phospholipids within each leaflet rapidly:
- diffuse laterally (side-to-side or deeper into the membrane plane)
- rotate
- flex
- RARELY move from one leaflet to other (flip-flop) on their own
why is cell membrane fluidity carefully regulated?
as it is important for function, e.g. membrane proteins for transport, enzyme activity, signaling
two factors affecting membrane fluidity
- temperature
- composition (phospholipid saturation, phospholipid tail length, lipid composition)
how does temperature impact membrane fluidity?
lower temperatures make the membrane more viscous and less fluid, which is unwanted
how does composition - phospholipid saturation - impact membrane fluidity?
- cis double bonds increase fluidity at lower temperatures (reduce tight packing)
- phospholipids can change from being saturated to unsaturated to alter fluidity
how does composition - phospholipid tail length - impact membrane fluidity?
shorter hydrocarbon tails increase fluidity at lower temperatures (lipid tails interact less)