Biochemical composition

and functions of cell

membrane
Mr saddam Hussain
Lecturer at Abasyn university

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 Membrane Structure and Function
 Cells must contain a cell membrane, cytoplasm and genetic material.
 The cell membrane is the EDGE, “boundary of life”, while the cytoplasm is the
site of all the reactions of life and the genetic material is the information
required for life.
 SELECTIVELY PERMEABLE means that the CM allows some substances
across more easily than others… some it helps and some it inhibits or rejects
all together.

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 Plasma Membrane

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 Membrane structure
 Development of models as a scientific process
 Models include
 Overton – proposed lipid base
 Langmuir (phospholipids) – made membrane
 Gorter and Grendel (two layers)
 Davson and Danielli (sandwich image, protein outside)
 Singer and Nicolson = Fluid Mosaic Model
 Required electron microscopy
 1972

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 Membrane structure
 Phospholipids – phosphate and fatty acid tails
 Hydrophilic
phosphates
 Hydrophobic fatty acid tails
 Two layers
 With tails together
 Protein
 Embedded throughout - integral
 Some just surface – peripheral
 Motility 5
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 Membrane Components

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 Phospholipid bilayer

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 Phospholipid bilayer
Contains 2 fatty
Make that
acid chains up the
arecell
nonpolarmembrane

Head is polar &

contains a
Phosphate group

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 Concept of membrane fluidity

FLUID- Cholesterol molecules prevent membrane from becoming

‘crispy’. Because individual phospholipids and proteins can move
around freely within the layer, like it’s a liquid.

MOSAIC- because of the pattern produced by the scattered protein

molecules when the membrane is viewed from above.

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 Concept of membrane fluidity

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 Membrane proteins
 Transport – substance across membrane, specificity to
substance, active pumps
 Enzymatic activity – sequence reactions
 Transmit signals – conformational change when
combine with substrate = message.
 Junctions – glue cells into tissues
 Recognition – glycoproteins act as targets or ID
 Attach to cytoskeleton – change shape of cell
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 Membrane proteins

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 Traffic across the Membrane
 The cell membrane is made of 2 layers of phospholipids called the lipid
bilayer
 Hydrophobic molecules pass easily; hydrophillic DO NOT.
 Small non-charged molecules move through easily. Examples: O2, and CO2 .
 Ions, and large molecules such as glucose and amino acids do not move
through the membrane on their own. They must use transport proteins

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 Transport Proteins

 Span the cell membrane

 Function as a channel
 Some also physically move passengers
 Specificity of fit ( form and function ) allows for membrane
selectivity.
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 Passive Transport
 Molecules have intrinsic kinetic energy
 They are in constant motion
 Cytoplasm, extracellular fluid and CM vary in
concentrations and pressure gradients.
 Concentration refers to the overall POPULATION of
molecules as well as the RATIO in that location compared
to another.
 Net Movement
 DYNAMIC EQUILIBRIUM
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 Passive transport includes
 Diffusion
 Tendency of molecules of any substance to spread out into the available space.
Substances will diffuse DOWN their concentration gradient.
 Osmosis
 The diffusion of water molecules across a selectively permeable membrane.
 Hypertonic = solution with higher [conc.] of solutes
 Hypotonic = solution with lower [conc.] of solutes
 Isotonic = solutions are equal in solute concentration
 Facilitative Diffusion
 Transport proteins are helping molecules to cross membrane, but still diffusion
(lowering overall free energy) thus doesn’t require energy from cell.

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 Cells in Solutions

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 Diffusion of Liquids

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 Diffusion of Liquids

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 Active Transport

 Movement of solutes, UP their concentration gradient, with the help

of transport proteins in a CM.
 Requires cell to expend energy / do work.
 Solute becomes more concentrated or “stock- piled” in a particular
area.
 Example is Sodium-Potassium Pump.

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 Na-K Pump

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 Bulk transport of material

 Many molecules are just too big to get into a cell by

passive or active transport.
 Endocytosis and exocytosis are used for bulk transport
of particles.
 Three types of endocytosis: Phagocytosis, Pinocytosis
and receptor mediated endocytosis.
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 Exocytosis
 Exocytosis- moving things out.
 Molecules are moved out of the cell by vesicles that fuse
with the plasma membrane.
 This is how many hormones are secreted and how nerve
cells communicate with one another.

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 Pinocytosis
 Most common form of endocytosis.
 Takes in dissolved molecules as a vesicle.

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 Phagocytosis
 Used to engulf large particles such as food, bacteria, etc.
into vesicles- Called cell eating.

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 Receptor Mediated endocytosis
 Some integral proteins have receptors on their surface
to recognize & take in hormones, cholesterol, etc.

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 Membranes functions and importance
1. Plasma membranes form closed compartments around cellular
protoplasm to define cell boundaries.
2. It shows selective permeability
 acts as a barrier, maintaining differences in composition between the
inside and outside of the cell.
 Done by specific proteins named transporters and ion channels.
3. The plasma membrane exchanges material with the
extracellular environment by
 Exocytosis
 endocytosis, and
 gap junctions
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 Membranes functions and importance
4. plays key roles in cell–cell interactions and in transmembrane
signaling.

5. Membranes also form specialized compartments within the cell

(organelles), eg,
 mitochondria,
 ER,
 sarcoplasmic reticulum,
 Golgi complexes,
 secretory granules,
 lysosomes, and
 nuclear membrane.
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 Membranes functions and importance
6. Membranes localize enzymes, function as integral elements
7. Changes in membrane structure affect water balance and
ion flux and therefore every process within the cell.
 Specific deficiencies or alterations of certain membrane
 Familial Hypercholesterolemia
 Cystic Fibrosis
 Wilson’s disease
 Hereditary Spherocytosis
 Metastasis of Cancer cells

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