Membrane Structure and Function Flashcards
Membranes grow through
enlargement of preexistant membranes
The ER incorporates membranes:
- lipid from the cytosol
- proteins through addition or synthesis
- carbohydrate addition occurs in Golgi
Double line at high magnifications
Cell membrane (7.5 nm thick)
The two sides (leaflets) of all membranes
C = cytoplasmic/nucleoplasmic side
E= exoplasmic side
term to describe a membrane meaning that they have a hydrophobic part and hydrophilic part
amiphillic
Aliphatic, nonpolar chains of fatty acids
hydrophobic
Carboxyl groups that make up the head group of the fatty acids
hydrophillic part that faces externally
structure with fatty acid tail and contains carboxyl groups studded on the head group
glycolipid
contains a phosphate with a type of polar group attached
phospholipid
Some PLs and all GLs are _______
sphingolipids
GLs which contain sialic acids
gangliosides
In cellular membranes, the bilayer is __________
asymmetric
Mixture of PLs and GLs spontaneously form a bilayer membrane in an aqueos solution
Membrane asymmetry
C leaflet:
E leaflet:
- C leaflet: most phoshatidyl serine (PS) and phosphatidyl ethanolamine (PE)
- lipid-linked protein
- E leaflet: most phosphatidyl choline (PC) and sphingomyelin (SM) and ALL glycolipids (GL)
- CHO groups on membrane proteins
- GPI-linked proteins
enzyme that causes the lost of asymmetry in some cell membranes
scramblases
The presence of PS on the outer surface (E leaflet) triggers _________ of aged cells by _________
phagocytosis, macrophages
Makes up about 20% of plasma membrane lipid
cholesterol
it can move in the plane of the membrane and between leaflets (“flip-flop”)
Cholesterol decreases the membrane ____________ to small molecules
permeability
Membrane proteins and glycoproteins help with:
- signaling
- transport across the membrane
- cell adhesion
In single pass transmembrane proteins, CHO is always on the _____ side of the cell membrane
Functions:
E side
function: receptors
cell recognition
cell attachment
Epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor
-tyrosine kinase signaling steps:
- Ligands (EGF) bind to receptors
- Receptors form dimers
- Dimers cross-phosphorylate their cytoplasmic tails
- Tyrosine kinase domains activated
- Other proteins phosphorylated
- Cell proliferation stimulated
Large multipass transmembrane proteins functions:
- receptors(G protein coupled receptor)
- transport proteins ion channels (connexin)
- ion pumps
- glucose transporters
etc.
Acetylcholine receptors (nicotinic) in the membranes of skeletal muscle cells are _________ membrane proteins.
multipass
A group of five receptors make one ion channel in the membrane.
- Ion channel is blocked
- Two AChs bind to receptors
- Channel opens
Anchored proteins (glycosyl-phosphatidylinositol (GPI)) do not _____
functions:
cross the bilayer
- receptors
- enzymes
located on the E side
Alkaline phosphate is a
GPI-linked protein
–In osteoblast membranes (bone forming cells)
–Increases the local concentration of free phosphate
→ calcium phosphate in bone





































