Cell Membrane

The cell membrane or plasma membrane is a biological membrane that separates the interior of all
cells from the outside environment.
Structure
The fluid mosaic model of S.J. Singer and G.L. Nicolson (1972). Biological membranes can be
considered as a two-dimensional liquid in which all lipid and protein molecules diffuse more or less
easily.
The cell membrane consists primarily of a thin layer of amphipathic phospholipids which spontaneously
arrange so that the hydrophobic "tail" regions are arranged inside the bilayer hidden from the direct
contact with surrounding extracellular or cytosolic fluid, and the more hydrophilic "head" regions are
arranged outside to associate with the cytosolic and extracellular faces of the bilayer. This forms a
continuous, spherical lipid bilayer.
The fluidity of lipid bilayers allow movements of the lipid molecules. There are three types of movement
possible for phospholipid molecules in a lipid bilayer: lateral diffusion, rotation and flip-flop movement.
Membranes composed of saturated lipids are less fluid, than those membranes which contain unsaturated
lipids
Membrane fluidity is very important to a cell for many reasons.

Membrane proteins can move and interact with each other in cell signalling,
It allows membranes to fuse with one another and to mix their molecules,
It ensures distribute membrane molecules evenly between daughter cells, when cell divides,
It allows membrane to bend and form vesicles,

Lipid bilayers have very low permeability for ions and most polar molecules. This affords the cell the
ability to control the movement of these substances via transmembrane protein complexes such as pores
and gates.
Plasma membrane proteins
The proteins serve many functions:

Transporters carry particular molecules across the lipid bilayer

Linkers anchor the membrane to macromolecule on either side
Receptors detect chemical signals in the cells environment and relay them to the cells interior
Enzymes catalyze (speed or slower) specific reactions inside and outside membrane.

There are three main ways in which proteins can be associated with the lipid bilayer of a cell membrane
1. Transmembrane proteins.
2. Integral membrane proteins.
3. Peripheral membrane proteins.
There are three categories of membrane-associated proteins.
Transmembrane proteins can be:
(1) single-pass proteins, with one alpha helix inserted into the membrane.

(2) multipass transmembrane proteins, with several alpha helices inserted into the membrane
(3) multiple transmembrane strands of polypeptide chain can be arranged as a sheet
The Cell Surface Is Coated with Sugar Residues
The term cell coat, or glycocalyx, is often used to describe the carbohydrate-rich zone on the cell surface.

the lipids in the outer layer of plasma membrane with the short sugar chains covalently attached
to them are called glycolipids.
the plasma membrane proteins which have short chains of sugars linked to them, are called
glycoproteins,
and those which have one or more long polysaccharide chains attached to them, are called
proteoglycans.
All the carbohydrate chains on the glycolipids, glycoproteins and proteoglycans, form a sugar coating
called glycocalyx.
Functions

Protection

Immunity to infection

Defense against cancer

Transplant compatibility

Cell adhesion

Inflammation regulation

Fertilization

Embryonic development
Cell membrane functions

1. receiving information
2. signalling (opposite to receiving)
3. capacity for movement and expansions
4. mechanical protection
5. endocytosis (pinocytosis, phagocytosis)
6. exocytosis
7. cell division (cytokinesis)
8. transport

The principles of membrane transport

I. I. TRANSPORT ACROSS THE LIPID BILAYER (NON-MEDIATEDTRANSPORT)
o Permeability of the lipid bilayer :

small, non-polar: permeable

small, polar: size-dependent permeability

ions: impermeable

charged polar and large uncharged polar: impermeable

o Transport across lipid bilayer by passive diffusion only:

substance moves down its chemical concentration gradient

no protein involved (e.g. non-mediated transport)

1. Diffusion : Some substances (small molecules, gases) can move across the plasma membrane by
diffusion, which is a passive transport process.
2. Osmosis : Water can be transported across the membrane by osmosis, which is a passive transport
process.
But the vast majority of materials and solutes cannot cross the lipid bilayer without the help of mediated
transport
II. TRANSPORT USING MEMBRANE PROTEINS (MEDIATED TRANSPORT)
o Transport proteins are integral, multipass transmembrane proteins, such as alpha helices and beta
barrels.
o They are highly selective for specific small molecule(s),
Each cell membrane contains a set of different membrane proteins appropriate to that particular
membrane

o Two major types of membrane transport proteins:

1) Carrier proteins bind a solute on one side of the membrane and deliver it to the other side through the
change in the conformation of the carrier protein. Responsible for passive and active transport.
2) Channel proteins form tiny hydrophilic pores in the membrane, through which solutes can pass. Most
channel proteins let pass through inorganic ions only and are called ion channels. Channel proteins are
only responsible for passive transport; some channels are gated.
III. CARRIER PROTEINS

General Characteristics
Specific (and reversible) binding of solute
Switching between cytoplasmic and outside faces
Can mediate passive transport (facilitated diffusion), active transport
or co-transport

Note that only carrier proteins can mediate active transport, but both carrier proteins and channel proteins
can carry out passive transport.
There are three types of transport by carrier proteins: uniports, symports, and antiports.

1) uniports some carrier proteins transport a single substance across the membrane
2) Symport - the two substances can move in the same direction (one down the gradient, and another
against the gradient).
3) Antiport the two substances can move in the opposite direction (one down the gradient, and another
against the gradient).
Note. Both symport and antiport cannot work, if there is only one substance.
Uniports, symports, and antiports are used for both passive and active transport.
Passive transport: solute moves downhill from high to low concentration in the same direction as the
concentration or electrochemical gradient;.
Active transport: solute is moved against chemical (concentration) or electrochemical gradient (for
charged solutes); requires energy input, which is usually in the form of ATP hydrolysis