Cell Membrane &

Homeostasis
 DEFINITIONS:
Diffusion: movement of molecules from
region of high concentration to low
concentration
Diffusion Gradient: the concentration
spectrum (difference) of solute molecules
from high concentration to low concentration.
Osmosis: diffusion of water molecules
across a membrane from high water amounts
(low solute) to low water amounts (high
solute).
 DEFINITIONS:
Cell membranes are completely
permeable to water.
The environment the cell is exposed to
can have a dramatic effect on the cell.
Solute: a dissolved molecule in water.
Eg. Sodium chloride dissolved in water
makes a saline solution. The sodium
chloride is the solute. The water is the
solvent.
 DEFINITIONS:
Common cell solutes include salts, sugars,
some minerals (iron ions and calcium ions)
and protons (electrons from acids).
CONCENTRATION: amount of solute per
unit volume of solution. Concentration can
be expressed in mass/volume (g/100ml -
percentage), ppm (parts per million), and
moles/volume (molarity). The greater the
mass or moles per unit volume, the more
concentrated the solution.
3 Osmotic Solution
Terms
 Isotonic
Same concentration of solute
surrounding a cell as inside the cell.
When a cell is placed in an isotonic
solution, the water diffuses into and out
of the cell at the same rate.
The fluid that surrounds the body cells
is said to be isotonic.
 Hypertonic
The surrounding solution contains a
higher concentration of solute
relative to the cell.
When a cell is placed in a hypertonic
solution, the water diffuses out of the cell
attempting to match the solute
concentration outside of it, causing the
cell to shrivel.
The fluid surrounding the body cell is said

to be hypertonic.
 Hypotonic
The surrounding solution contains a
lower concentration of solute relative
to the cell (e.g. the cell's cytoplasm).
When a cell is placed in a hypotonic
solution, the water diffuses into the cell in
an attempt to dilute the solutes inside the
cell, causing the cell to swell and possibly
explode in animal cells.
Plant cells have a strong cell wall that
prevents explosions.
Plant cell central vacuoles will fill to
maximum and push against the cell wall
this is called high turgor pressure.
 CELL MEMBRANE
FUNCTION and
STRUCTURE
The CELL MEMBRANE is chiefly
responsible for maintaining homeostasis
inside a living cell using different
methods to transport molecules in and
out of the cell.
Too much water can burst the cell
Too many wastes can poison the cell

The cell cannot tolerate any great variations

in ion conditions.
osmosis animation
 Jobs of the cell
membrane
1. Isolate the cytoplasm from the
external environment
2. Regulate the exchange of
substances (gases and ions)
3. Communicate with other cells
4. Identification (proteins and
carbohydrates on its surface)
http://www.goldiesroom.org/AP%20Biology/AP%20Lecture%20Notes%20pdf/LN014--Ch05--
Cell%20Transport.pdf
http://www.goldiesroom.org/AP%20Biology/AP%20Lecture%20Notes%20pdf/LN014--Ch05--
Cell%20Transport.pdf
 DESCRIPTION
The fluid mosaic model (S.J Singer)
selectively-permeable: allows some
substances in all the time, some only when
needed, excludes others, allows one-way
flow of some.
Fluid portion is a double layer of
phospholipids, called the phospholipid
bilayer.
large transport proteins, oligoproteins
and oligosaccharides aid in transport
energy is required from the cell
aid in communication as well as identification
 Phospholipid bilayer
Phospholipids contain a hydrophilic head
and a non-polar hydrophobic tail
Hydrogen bonds form between the
phospholipid bilayer and the watery
environment inside and outside of the cell.
Hydrophobic (water fearing) interactions
force the tails" to face inward.
Phospholipids are not bonded to each
other, which makes the double layer fluid.
 Cholesterol embedded in the membrane
makes it stronger and less fluid.
http://www.goldiesroom.org/AP%20Biology/AP%20Lecture%20Notes%20pdf/LN014--Ch05--
Cell%20Transport.pdf
 The different components of a
plasma membrane are integral
proteins, peripheral proteins,
glycoproteins, phospholipids,
glycolipids, and in some cases
cholesterol, and lipoproteins.

Construction of the Cell Membrane -

Learning Activity
detailed cell membrane animation
 Proteins Embedded in
Membrane Serve Different
Functions
Transport Proteins
regulate movement of substance

Channel Proteins
form small openings for molecules to
diffuse through like water

Carrier Proteins
binding site on protein surface "grabs"
certain molecules and pulls them into the
cell animation
 Gated Channels
similar to carrier proteins, not always
"open"eg. Bind and pull in calcium
ions when needed. This requires cell
energyactive transport.
 Receptor Proteins
molecular triggers that set off cell
responses (such as release of hormones
or opening of channel proteins)

e.g. The junction

between nerve
cells requires the
transmission of
neurotransmitter
s between
synaptic gaps
these chemicals
bind onto
receptor
 Recognition Proteins - ID tags, to
identify cells to the body's immune
system (called antigens)
 TRANSPORT
MECHANISMS
1. PASSIVE TRANSPORT
2. ACTIVE TRANSPORT
1. ENDOCYTOSIS
2. EXOCYTOSIS
 Types of Cellular
Transport
Passive Transport Weeee!!!
cell doesnt use
energy
1. Diffusion
2. Facilitated Diffusion hig
3. Osmosis h

Active Transport low

cell does use energy

This is
1. Protein Pumps gonna be
hard
2. Endocytosis work!!
3. Exocytosis
hig
h
Animations of Active
& Passive Transport
low
1. Passive Transport (p. 198)

Simple Diffusion - water, oxygen and

other molecules move from areas of
high concentration to areas of low
concentration, down a concentration
gradient.
Note Osmosis is the diffusion of water

Diffusion animation
Passive Transport Animation
1. Passive Transport (contd)

Facilitation Diffusion - diffusion

that is enabled by proteins
(channel or carrier proteins) which
bind onto required molecules so that
they flow into the cell.

Animation: How Facilitated Diffus

ion Works
 Contractiles Vacuoles are found in
freshwater microorganisms - they
pump out excess water.

Recall:
Turgor pressure occurs in plants
cells as their central water vacuoles
fill with water.
Factors Affecting Rate of
Diffusion
 1. Size
small molecules can slip through
phospholipids bilayer easier than
large molecules
very large molecules may not be
able to diffuse at all
 2. Concentration
the greater the concentration
gradient (bigger range) the quicker
a material diffuses (makes the
molecules want to move faster)
think of a crowded room
 3. Temperature
In general as temperature increases
molecules move faster which
translates into faster diffusion
 4. Polarity of molecules
Water-soluble (polar) molecules will
not easily move through the
membrane because they are stopped
by the middle water-insoluble
(nonpolar) layer
 5. Surface Area
As a cells size increases its volume increases
much quicker than its surface area.
If you double individual lengths (1 cm to 2 cm) the
surface areas increases 4 times, and the volume
increases 8 times.
If cell size is doubled, it would require 8 times
more nutrients and have 8 times s much waste.
SA only increases by a factor of 4 not enough
surface area through which nutrients and wastes
could move.
Cell would either starve or be poisoned (waste
products)
Cells divide before they come too large to
function.
 2. Active Transport (p. 199)
Involves moving molecules "uphill"
against the concentration gradient,
which requires energy.
Uses carrier protein molecules as receptors.
One may transport calcium ions another
glucose molecules.
There are hundreds of these types of protein
molecules.
*Each one changes shape to accommodate a
specific molecule.
2. Active Transport (contd)
Their activity can be stopped from
transporting molecules with
inhibitors (unfortunately, these are
usually poisons) which:
either destroy the membrane protein
or just plug it up
(e.g. for your neurons tetanus &
botulinum-B secrete a poison that
suppress the Na/K pump)
active transport animation
http://www.biology4kids.com/files/cell2_activ
etran.html
 Sodium-Potassium Pump
Pumps out 3 sodium atoms for ever 2
potassium atoms taken in against
gradient in the cell.

ATP and the Na/K Pump

Animation: How the Sodium Potassium Pump Works
 The H+/K+ ATPase
The parietal cells of your stomach (lining)
use this pump to secrete gastric juice.
These cells transport hydrogen ions (H+)
from a concentration of about 4 x 10-8 M
within the cell to a concentration of about
0.15 M in the gastric juice (giving it a pH
close to 2).
Recall: pH power of the H+ ion
Small wonder that parietal cells are stuffed
with mitochondria and use huge amounts
of energy as they carry out this three-
million fold concentration of protons.
The H+/K+ ATPase
 Ca2+ ATPases
In resting skeletal muscle, there is a much
higher concentration of calcium ions (Ca2+)
in the sarcoplasmic reticulum (__) than in the
cytosol (_________).
Activation of the _______ fiber allows some of
this Ca2+ to pass by fascilitated diffusion into
the cytosol where it triggers contraction. After
contraction, this Ca2+ is pumped back into the
sarcoplasmic reticulum. This is done by a
Ca2+ ATPase that uses the energy from each
molecule of ATP to pump 2 Ca2+ ions.

 Exocytosis
Moves large, complex molecules
such as proteins out of the cell
membrane.
Large molecules, food, or fluid
droplets are packaged in membrane-
bound sacs called vesicles.
 Endocytosis
Endocytosis moves large particles
(huge molecules or molecular
conglomerates) into a cell.

endo & exocystosis animations

 Phagocytosis
Phagocytosis is another type of endocytosis
used for massive transport.
Cell membrane extends out forming
pseudopods (fingerlike projections) that
surround the particle.
Membrane pouch encloses the material &
pinches off inside the cell making a vesicle.
Vesicle can fuse with lysosomes(digestive
organelles) or release their contents in the
cytoplasm
Animation: Phagocytosis
HowStuffWorks "Phagocytosis"
 Used by ameba to feed & white
blood cells to kill bacteria.
Known as killer cells"
 Pinocytosis is another type of
endocytosis
Cell membrane surrounds fluid droplets
Fluids taken into membrane-bound vesicle
Known as cell drinking
Exocytosis is used to
remove large products
from the cell such as
wastes, mucus, & cell
products such as
hormones and
antibodies.
Exocytosis is the
process used by our
memory cells (white
blood cells that produce
antibodies to fight
infection).
It is also used by our
 phagocytosis
animation
 In Summary

Essential Biochemistry - Membrane Transport

 Transport Flowchart
Transport of Materials
Across a Membrane

Active Passive

Ion Endocyto Simple

Exocytosis OsmosisFacilitate
Pum sis Diffusion
d
p
Diffusion

Pinocytos Phagocytos
is is