Cell Membrane Transport

Cell Membrane Transport

1- Factors affecting transport - cell membrane - Chemical gradient - Electrical gradient - Rate of transport 2- Passive transport - Diffusion - Osmosis - Facilitated diffusion 3- Active transport - Pumps - phagocytosis - Endocytosis/exocytosis

Factors affecting transport: cell membrane

The cell needs to absorb and excrete various compounds throughout its life.

These compounds need to pass through the membrane which is made from a phospholipid bilayer The phospholipid bilayer is formed by phospholipid molecules bipolar molecule: the fatty acid side is hydrophobic, the phosphoric side is hydrophilic

Stable phospholipid organizations

Figure 2.4

 The membrane is permeable to:

H2O Gases (O2, CO2, N2) Lipids Small, neutral molecules (such as urea)

The membrane is impermeable to: - Small, charged molecules - large molecules such as amino acids, glucose and larger these compounds must go through channels present in the membrane in order to enter or exit the cell

Factors affecting transport: Chemical gradient

Compound moves from an area of high concentration to low concentration (or concentration gradient) All compounds permeable to the phospholipid bilayer will move this way

Factors affecting transport: Electrical force

Positive ions are attracted to negative ions and vice versa

Ions are repelled by ions of the same charge (+ against + and against -)

Figure 4.3

Movement across the cell membrane

Both chemical and electrical forces (electrochemical force) drive the movement of compounds across the cell membrane

Factors affecting the rate of transport

The rate of transport will depend on: - the concentration gradient - the compound permeability to the membrane - the type and number of charges present on the compound

Passive transport
Compounds will move from area of high concentration toward area of lower concentration No ATP is needed for this type of transport

Diffusion
Compounds move toward the area of lower concentration Compounds permeable to the cell membrane will move through diffusion. (Compounds unable to pass through the membrane will only pass if membrane channels open)

Osmosis
Each compound obeys the law of diffusion However, some compounds are unable to cross the cell membrane (glucose, electrolytes) Water can cross will enter or exit the cell depending its concentration gradient

Note: the cell membrane is a semipermeable membrane

Solution tonicity
Isotonic solution: solution which has the same compound concentration as the cell Hypotonic solution: solution having a compound in lower concentration compared to the cell Hypertonic solution: solution having a compound in higher concentration compared to the cell

Facilitated diffusion
Some compounds are unable to diffuse through the membrane. They will be allow to cross if the membrane has proteins that can bind these compounds and enable to cross toward the area of lower concentration

Figure 4.11a

Active transport
Compounds move from area of low concentration toward area of higher concentration ATP (energy) is needed pump

ATPase pumps
The most common: Na/K pumps reestablish membrane potential. Present in all cells. Two K+ ions are exchanged with 3 Na + ions

Phagocytosis

Receptor-mediated endocytosis
Cell receptors bind to a compound initiate endocytosis

Figure 4.21c

Readings:
Chp. 4: p. 95-124. Clinical connections, p.121.

Not expected: Toolbox, p. 96, p. 100, p. 105.