1.

4 Membrane transport

1.4 Membrane Transport

Endocytosis & Exocytosis

The fluidity of membranes allows materials to be taken into cells by endocytosis or released by
exocytosis.

Endocytosis
- fluidity of membranes allows materials to be
taken into cells by endocytosis or released by
exocytosis

- formation of a vesicle occurs when a small

region of a membrane is pulled from the rest
of the membrane & pinched off

- forms on the inside of the plasma

membrane and contains the material that
was outside of the cell

• phagocytosis - solid(eating)
• pinocytosis - liquid(drinking)
- contains water, solutes and larger molecules that can't pass through the bilayer
- eg. placenta: proteins from mother's blood(incl. antibodies) absorbed into the fetus; taking in
large undigested food particles(unicellular, Amoeba+Paramecium); white blood cells intake
pathogens(virus, bacteria) then kill them

Exocytosis
- vesicles carries substance and binds w/ the
plasma membrane

- contents are expelled to the extracellular

- plasma membrane then flattens out
- secretion: release of useful substance
• eg. digestive enzymes released from

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gland cells(polypeptides in enzyme synthesized by rER => processed in Golgi => carried to
membrane in vesicles)
- expel waste
• eg. removal of excess water from cells of unicellular organisms(H2O into vesicle(contractile
vacuole) => plasma membrane)

Vesicle movement in cells

Vesicles move materials within cells.
- vesicles can be used to: move materials around cells, sometimes it is the proteins on the
membrane of vesicles that need to be moved

- moving vesicle contents

• eg. secretory cells: protein synthesized by ribosomes on rER, accumulating inside rER =>
vesicles carry proteins to Golgi => vesicles carry Golgi processed proteins to plasma
membrane => proteins secreted

- use of vesicle membrane

• eg. growing cell = increasing area of plasma membrane; rER synthesize phospholipids-
inserted into rER membrane, ribosomes on rER synthesize membrane proteins-inserted into
rER membrane => vesicles bud off the rER, move to plasma membrane => fuse w/
plasma membrane, increasing A of membrane by a very little amount

• this method also used to increase size of organelles in the cytoplasm such as lysosomes and
mitochondria

Simple diffusion, facilitated diffusion, osmosis, active transport

Particles move across membranes by simple diffusion, facilitated diffusion, osmosis and active
transport.

Simple diffusion
- particles, due to random movement, spread out in a volume
- high -> low concentration
- particles passing b/t phospholipid bilayer
• only happen if bilayer is permeable to the particles

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• non-polar(eg. O2) + small particles diffuse through easily
• larger + polar molecules are unlikely to cross b/c centre of bilayer is hydrophobic
- small polar particles(eg. urea, ethanol) pass through more easily than large ones

Facilitated diffusion
- high -> low concentration
- large/polar particles and other that are unable to diffuse through the bilayer directly diffuse
through channel proteins

- channel proteins:
• holes w/ a very narrow diameter; walls consist of proteins
- ensure only one type of particle passes through
• cells control which type of channel are synthesized & placed in the plasma membrane -
control which substances diffuse in/out

Osmosis
- the net movement of water molecules across a partially permeable membrane
- caused by the difference in concentration of solute, not solvent
- substances dissolve by forming intermolecular bonds w/ water, which restrict water movement
- areas w/ high concentration will see reduced movability of water

- water moves from low -> high solute concentration

- Isotonic solution: concentration outside = inside
- Hypertonic(more) solution: concentration outside > inside
- Hypotonic(less) solution: concentration outside < inside
- water molecules are hydrophilic, but can still pass through bilayer b/c they are small
- some cells have water channels called aquaporins - increase permeability of membrane

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Active transport
- occurs when a particle moves from low -> high concentration
- active process - requires E(ATP)
- pump proteins
• substance enters the pump and goes to the central chamber, which elicits a conformational
change

• ATP then joins and causes the substance to be released on the other side

Active transport of sodium and potassium in axons

Structure and function of sodium-potassium pumps for active transport.
- axon: a part of a neuron(nerve cell); consists of a tubular membrane w/ cytoplasm inside;
• convey messages rapidly from one part of the body to another in a electrical form - nerve
impulse

- involves rapid movements of sodium(Na) then potassium(K) ions across the axon
membrane - occur by facilitated diffusion through channels, occur b/c of concentration
gradients b/t inside/outside of axon

- concentration gradient built up by active transport - sodium-potassium pump protein

1. three sodium ions enter the pump
on the inside of axon and attach to
their binding sites

2. ATP transfers a phosphate group

to the pump, causing the pump to
change shape & the interior is then
closed

3. interior pump opens to the outside

of axon, three sodium ions
released

4. two potassium ions from outside

enter and attach to their binding
sites

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5. binding of potassium causes release of the phosphate group, causes the pump to change
shape again - only open to the inside

6. interior of the pump opens to the inside of the axon, two potassium ions are released;
sodium ions can then enter and bind to the pump again

Facilitated diffusion of potassium in axons

Structure and function of sodium-potassium pumps for active transport and potassium channels
for facilitated diffusion in axons.
- Potassium ions naturally form bonds w/ water and have a shell of water molecules
surrounding them

- In order to pass through a potassium voltage gated channel, these bonds need to be broken
and bonds need to be made w/ amino acids inside the channel

- The voltage-gated channel opens during repolarization, when there are more +tive charges
inside the axon than outside

- Voltage gated channels quickly close w/ the help of a globular protein attached to a flexible
amino acid chain, which plugs the opening of the channel

- This voltage-gated channel allows for facilitated diffusion of potassium in axons

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Estimation of osmolarity
Estimation of osmolarity in tissues by bathing samples in hypotonic and hypertonic solutions
- Samples of a tissue bathed in hypertonic + hypotonic solutions
- Measure to find out whether water enters/leaves the tissue
- Possible to deduce what concentration of solution would be isotonic
- Find out the osmolarity of the tissue

Experimental design
Accurate quantitative measurements in osmosis experiments are essential.

- Results should be quantitative

- Accurate measurements
- Repeats
- Controlled variable

Designing osmosis experiments

Rigorous experimental design is needed to produce reliable results: how can accurate quantitative
measurements be obtained in osmosis experiments?

Preventing osmosis in excised tissues and organs

Tissues or organs to be used in medical procedures must be bathed in a solution with the same
osmolarity as the cytoplasm to prevent osmosis.

- In a hypertonic solution(high osmolarity), water leaves cells by osmosis(to enter solution),

causing crenellations(indentations) in their plasma membrane
- In a hypotonic solution the opposite occurs and the cells swell up, causing them to burst
- Hence cells need to be bathed in a solution w/ the same osmolarity(isotonic) during medical
procedures

• Saline(Sodium Chloride solution) normally used w/ an osmolarity of

300milliOsmoles(mOSm)

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