Membrane Structure and

Function

Membrane Composition
Membrane fluidity
Fatty acids, cholesterol

Membrane Proteins
Membrane Permeability
Diffusion, osmosis, tonicity, osmoregulation
Active transport, membrane potential

Boundary that separates living cell from its

environment

Selective permeability- allowing some substances to

cross it more easily than others

Composed of lipids,
proteins, carbohydrates

Hydrophilic

Phospholipids- most abundant

lipid in the plasma membrane

Hydrophobic

Amphipathic moleculescontaining hydrophobic &

hydrophilic regions

Hydrophilic

Membrane is a fluid structure with a mosaic of

various proteins embedded in it
Hydrophilic region
of protein

Phospholipid
bilayer

Hydrophobic region of protein

Phospholipids in the plasma membrane can move within

the bilayer (fluid as salad oil)
Held in place by hydrophobic interactions (weak)

Lipids, (some proteins), drift laterally

Rarely- molecule flip-flop across the membrane

Lateral movement
Flip-flop
(~107 times per second) (~ once per month)

As temperatures cool, membranes switch from a

fluid state to a solid state

Temperature where membrane solidifies depends

on types of lipids (fatty acids)

Membranes rich in unsaturated fatty acids are

more fluid at lower temperature than saturated
fatty acids *IMPORTANT CONCEPT!

Fluid

Viscous

Unsaturated hydrocarbon
tails with kinks

Saturated hydrocarbon tails

Cannot pack together

due to double bonds
between carbons in the
hydrocarbon chain

No double bonds

Cholesterol (steroid) - effects membrane fluidity

depending on the temperature

Warm temperatures- restrains movement of

phospholipids, making them less fluid

Cool temperatures- maintains fluidity by

preventing tight packing
Lowers the temperature required for a membrane to

solidify

Cholesterol within the animal cell membrane

Cholesterol

Fluidity must be maintained to work properly- balance

-too fluid or not fluid enough will not function

Membrane Proteins
Integral or peripheral
Functions

Proteins in the plasma membrane can move

Different types of cells have different types of
proteins in their plasma membrane

Integral protein- penetrate the hydrophobic core of the

lipid bilayer
Transmembrane protein- spans the entire membrane

Peripheral protein- not embedded in the membrane,

bound to it

(type of integral protein)

Integral protein- hydrophobic regions consist of

nonpolar AAs, often coiled into a-helices
EXTRACELLULAR
SIDE

N-terminus

C-terminus
a Helix

CYTOPLASMIC
SIDE

Transmembrane Integral Protein

Transport

Enzymatic activity
Signal transduction
Cell-cell recognition
Intercellular joining
Attachment to the cytoskeleton and ECM

Enzymes

ATP

Signal

Receptor

Cells recognize each other by binding to surface

molecules
Recognize self vs non-self (pathogens, transplant tissue)
Surface molecules usually carbohydrates
Covalently bonded to lipids- glycolipids
Covalently bonded to proteins- glycoproteins

Markers on your blood cells

Type A, B, AB or O

Permeability of lipid bilayer

Polar vs Nonpolar
Transport proteins

Types of transport (sec 4)

Diffusion
Facilitated diffusion
Active transport
Bulk transport

Hydrophobic (nonpolar) molecules- dissolve in the

lipid bilayer & pass through the membrane rapidly
O2, CO2, hydrocarbons

Hydrophilic (polar) molecules- do not cross the

membrane easily
Sugars (glucose), ions, water

Allow passage of hydrophilic substances- very

specific

Channel proteins- hydrophilic channel that specific

molecules or ions can use as a tunnel
Aquaporins- facilitate the passage of water

Carrier proteins- bind to molecules and change

shape to shuttle them across the membrane

Channel
Protein

Carrier
Protein

ATP

Types of transport
Passive (diffusion): high to low
Channel proteins
Aquaporin or ion channel

Carrier proteins

Active: low to high

ONLY carrier proteins

Hydrophobic
substances diffuse
right across
membrane. Dont
need transport
proteins.

Thermal motion (heat)- movement of molecules

Diffusion- molecules spread out evenly into the

available space
Each molecule moves randomly (Brownian Motion)
All the of molecules- movement in one direction

Molecules move HIGH concentration to LOW concentration

Equally spread throughout

Heat: increase heat, increase molecular collisions,

increase diffusion rate
Direct relationship

Size: smaller molecules move faster than larger

molecules, smaller molecule will diffuse faster
Inverse relationship

Concentration gradient: steeper gradient, faster

diffusion
Direct relationship

Diffusion
Molecules of dye

Membrane

WATER

Net diffusion

Net diffusion

Equilibrium

Dye is diffusing down its own concentration gradient.

NO work- no energy is added to the system.
Spontaneous process.

Concentration Gradient- the difference in concentration of

a substance from one area to another
Moves HIGH to LOW

Passive transport- requires no energy from the cell to

make it happen

Only happens in a cell if the substance can readily cross

the plasma membrane

Water can diffuse across the cell membrane through

aquaporins (hydrophilic channels)

Diffusion refers to the movement of

SOLUTE (molecules) down its OWN
concentration gradient
Do NOT confuse this with osmosis- the
diffusion of WATER (solution)

Osmosis- diffusion of water across a selectively

permeable membrane

Water is diffusing on its OWN concentration

gradient

From a high to low concentration

Water diffuses across a membrane- from an area of

low solute concentration (high water) to an area of
high solute concentration (low water)

Lower
concentration
of solute (sugar)

Higher
concentration
of sugar

Same concentration
of sugar

H2O

High
H2O

Low
H2O

Selectively
permeable membrane: sugar molecules cannot pass
through pores, but
water molecules can

Osmosis- diffusion
of water (not
solute- sugar)
Solutes Suck

Ability of a solution to cause a cell to gain or lose water

Isotonic solution: solute concentration is the same as that

inside the cell; no net water movement across the plasma
membrane

Hypertonic solution: solute concentration is greater than

that inside the cell; cell loses water (cell shrivel up)

Hypotonic solution: solute concentration is less than that

inside the cell; cell gains water (cell burst)

To maintain their internal environmentosmoregulate

Control the balance of water within themselves

and the outside environment

Paramecium lives in a hypotonic environment

(pond water)
Contractile vacuole that acts as a pump

Filling vacuole

Contracting vacuole

50 m

50 m

Hypotonic environment- plant cell swells, cell wall

exerts pressure, opposes uptake- turgid (firm)

Isotonic environment- no net movement of water;

flaccid (wilt)

Hypertonic environment- plant cells lose water

Plasmolysis- plasma membrane pulls away from the wall
***Plants, bacteria, fungi***

Tonicity- ability of a solution to cause a cell to

gain or lose water

Osmoregulation- animals/plants control the

balance of water within themselves and the
outside environment

Hypotonic solution

Isotonic solution

Hypertonic solution

Animal
cell
H2O

H2O

Turgid (normal)

H2O

H2O

Flaccid

H2O

Shriveled

Normal

Lysed

Plant
cell

H2O

H2O

H2O

Plasmolyzed

Transport proteins speed movement of polar molecules

across the plasma membrane
Very specific, water or small ions

Channel proteins- provide corridors that allow a specific

molecule or ion to cross the membrane

Ion channels- gated channels, stimulus causes them to

open/close
Stimulus- chemical or electrical
Chemical- not the substance that will be transported

Neurotransmitter can open Na+ ion channels

Carrier proteins undergo change in shape that

translocates the solute-binding site across the
membrane
EXTRACELLULAR
FLUID

Channel protein

Solute

CYTOPLASM

Passive diffusionMoving down its

concentration gradient
(high to low)
Carrier protein

Solute

Moving solutes from LOW concentration to a

HIGH concentration

Active transport- requires energy, usually ATP

Performed by carrier proteins only

Channels are just open passage ways

Sodium-potassium pump- higher concentration of

K+ and lower concentration of Na+ inside the cell
compared to environment

EXTRACELLULAR
FLUID

Na+

[Na+] high
[K+] low

Na+
Na+

Na+

Na+

Na+

Na+

Na+

CYTOPLASM

[Na+] low
[K+] high

Na+

Cytoplasmic Na+ bonds to

the sodium-potassium pump

ATP

ADP

Na+ binding stimulates

phosphorylation by ATP.

add a phosphate group

Phosphorylation causes
the protein to change its
conformation, expelling Na+
to the outside.

Loss of the phosphate

restores the proteins
original conformation.

K+ is released and Na+

sites are receptive again;
the cycle repeats.

P
P

Extracellular K+ binds
to the protein, triggering
release of the phosphate
group.

Passive transport

Active transport

ATP
Diffusion

Facilitated diffusion

Nonpolar

Polar

hydrophobic

hydrophilic

Polar
hydrophilic

All cells have voltage across their plasma membranes

Voltage- electrical potential energy, separation of opposite

charges

Cytoplasm has a negative charge compared to

extracellular fluid
Unequal distribution of anions (- ions) & cations (+ ions)

Membrane potential- voltage difference across a

membrane

Range -50 to -200 mV

Minus sign indicated negative inside the cell compared to

outside

Acts like a battery- energy source that affects the

trafficking of all charged substances across the
membrane

Inside cell is negative- membrane potential favors

the passive transport of cations (+) in to the cell &
anions (-) out of the cell

Two combined forces drive the diffusion of ions

across a membrane:
Ions concentration gradient- chemical force
Effect of the membrane potential on the ions

movement- electrical force

Passive diffusion- ion moves down its

electrochemical gradient
Includes concentration, as well as charge across

membrane

Resting nerve cell: [Na+] lower inside cell

than out
Stimulated- gated Na+ channels open up
Na+ ions fall down electrochemical gradient

1. Driven by concentration gradient of Na+

2. Driven by the attraction of cations to the
negative interior of the cell (charge)

Membrane proteins contribute to membrane

potential (difference of voltage across the membrane)

Sodium-potassium pump- pumps 3 Na+ ions out

for every 2 K+ ions pumps in
Net transfer of +1 charge to extracellular environment
Stores energy in form of voltage

Electrogenic pump - transport protein that

generates the voltage across a membrane

Electrogenic Pump- proton pump

ATP

EXTRACELLULAR
FLUID

H+
H+

Proton pump
H+

H+

H+

CYTOPLASM

H+
+

Occurs when active transport of a solute indirectly

drives transport of another solute

Cotransporter protein (separate from the pump)couples the downhill diffusion of one substance
to the uphill transport of a 2nd substance

+
H+

ATP

H+

+
H+

Proton pump
H+

Downhill
diffusion of
H+ coupled
to uphill
transport of
sucrose

+
H+

+
H+

Sucrose-H+
cotransporter

Diffusion
of H+

H+

Sucrose

Large molecules cross the membrane via vesicles

Exocytosis- transport vesicles migrate to

membrane, fuse with it, & release their contents
Many secretory cells use exocytosis to export their

products

Endocytosis- cell takes in macromolecules by

forming vesicles from the plasma membrane
Reversal of exocytosis, involving different proteins

Phagocytosis (eating)- cell engulfs particles in a

vacuole

Pinocytosis (drinking)- cell creates vesicle around

fluid

Receptor-mediated endocytosis- binding of

ligands to receptors triggers vesicle formation

RECEPTOR-MEDIATED ENDOCYTOSIS
Receptor

Coat protein
Coated
vesicle

Ligand
Coated
pit

1. Passive- NO energy

High to Low

A. Diffusion across membrane

B.

Small or hydrophobic (nonpolar) molecules only

Facilitated diffusion (through a transport

protein)

1.
2.

Channel protein- specific, some gated

Carrier protein- specific

2. Active- ENERGY (ATP!) Low to High

A. Molecule must go through transport protein

CARRIER proteins only!

Pump- Active
ATP- Active

Diffusion- Passive

Explain the concept of voltage, electrochemical

gradient, membrane potential in your own
words.

Plasma membrane content

A.

Phospholipids
Proteins

1.
2.

Membrane Fluidity

B.

Unsaturated/saturated fats- cold temp

Cholesterol- cold/hot temp

1.

2.

Membrane Proteins

C.

Types

1.

A.
B.
2.
D.

Integral (transmembrane)
Peripheral

Functions

Types of Transport
Passive (diffusion): high to low
Channel proteins- aquaporin or ion channel
Carrier proteins
Active: low to high
ONLY carrier proteins

Tonicity

A.

Plants & animal cells

Isotonic, hypertonic, hypotonic

1.
2.

Na/K+ Pump (electrogenic pump)

B.

How does it function?

What are the consequences on the cell?

1.

2.

Membrane Potential

C.

Electrochemical gradient- gradient of ions based on concentration &

charge
Voltage
Electrogenic pump- Na/K+ pump and proton pump (establish
volatage)
Co-transport

1.

2.
3.
4.
D.

Bulk Transport
Endocytosis: pinocytosis, phagocytosis, receptor-mediated
2. Exocytosis
1.