Final Flashcards
(210 cards)
What are the functions of a membrane?
- compartmentalization
- transport
- communication
- intercellular interactions
- energy transduction
Describe lipids
Non polar, hydrophobic compounds, soluble inorganic solvents
Most at amphipathic with a nonpolar and a polar end
What is a fatty acid?
Lipid consisting of a hydrocarbon chain with a carboxylic acid at one end
Generally have cis configurations around double bonds and even number of carbons
What are the three membrane lipids?
Phospholipids
Glycolipids
Sterols
What are glycerophospholipids?
Common constitutes of cellular membranes
Have glycerol backbone
Hydroxyls at C1 and C2 are estérified to fatty acids
Include polar region (glycerol, carbonyl, Pi, and polar head group (x)), and 2 non-polar hydrocarbon tails of fatty acids (R1,R2)
What are sphingolipids?
Derivatives of lipid sphingosine, which has a long hydrocarbon tail, and a polar domain that includes and amino group
What creates a ceramide?
Amino group of sphingosine can form an amide bond with a fatty acid carboxyl to yield a ceramide
Usually include a polar head group, esterified to the terminal OH of the sphingosine
Describe cholesterol
Largely hydrophobic but has one polar group, A hydroxyl, making it amphipathic
How are membranes dynamic?
- They can move
- Components are continuously synthesized and degraded
- The primary event in cell death may be damaged to the cell membrane
What is the chemical composition of the membrane?
Lipid assemblies held together by non-covalent bonds with proteins of specific functions
Also contains carbohydrates such as glycolipids
What are the different phases lipids can exist in?
Crystal, gel, and fluid
What prevents phase changes of membrane lipids?
Cholesterol is abundant in many membrane
Double bonds in the lipid lower melting point to below physiological temperature
What is membrane fluidity influenced by?
Fatty acid: chain length and saturation
Presence of sterols
Less fluid if longer carbon chain and fewer double bonds
What are integral proteins?
Span membrane
Cannot be removed with salt, must be solubilises with detergent
Integral proteins typically have alpha helices spanning membrane
What are the three different types of membrane proteins?
Peripheral: on membrane surface
Integral
Having a lipid anchor
Why are transporters important?
About 10% of all protein function is transport
2/3 of cellular energy at rest is used to transport ions
200 families of transporters are recognized
What are the two major modes of membrane transport?
- Simple (passive) diffusion: no carriers are involved, includes organic molecules and small uncharged molecules
- Mediated diffusion: carried out by proteins, peptides, and small molecular weight carriers, includes ions, uncharged organic compounds, peptides, and proteins. Two types: passive and active
What are he three types of integral membrane proteins that provide transport function?
- Channels and pores: can be regulated
- Passive transporters: move down gradient, no energy required
- Active transporters: move against gradient
What are the three types of passive transport?
Diffusion, osmosis, and facilitated diffusion
Define diffusion
The tendency for molecules to spread out into available space
Describe pores and channels
Transmember proteins with a central passage for ions and small molecules
Solutes of appropriate size, charge, and molecular structure can diffuse down a concentration gradient
Describe passive transport
Does not require an energy source
Protein binds solutes and transports them down a concentration gradient
What are the different types of passive transport systems?
Uniport: carry only a single type of solute
Symport: two solutes, same direction
Antiport: two solutes, opposite directions
Describe the kinetics of passive transport
Initial rate of transport increases until a maximum is reached (site is saturated)