L.

Modder
Biology 12

Name:___________________
Date:____________________

Cell Membrane - 4
Order of Subtopics Covered:
1. Cell Membrane
a. Components
b. Fluid Mosaic Theory
2. Transportation Across the Cell Membrane
a. Diffusion
i. Osmosis
ii. Passive Transport
b. Active Transport
i. Endocytosis
ii. Exocytosis
3. Surface to Volume Ratio
Cell Membrane:

Page 61-63

The cell membrane surrounds the cell and controls the PASSAGE of materials into and out of the cell.
It is SELECTIVELY permeable ONLY non-charged and WATER molecules can move without channels.
COMPONENTS:
1) Phospholipids (70 % of membrane)
o Have a hydrophilic PHOSPHATE head and 2 HYDROPHOBIC fatty acid tails.

2) Carbohydrates ( 5 % of membrane)
o Occur on the EXTERIOR surface only.
o May be attached to a protein, forming a GLYCOPROTEIN
o May be attached to a lipid, forming a GLYCOLIPID.
o Thought to be involved in cell RECOGNITION (self or foreign cells) like identifying flags on the surface
CARBO

PROTEIN
3) Cholesterol ( 1 % to 3% of membrane)
o Helps to maintain cell membrane FLUIDITY and STABILITY
4) Proteins ( 20 % of membrane)
o 3-D structures EMBEDDED in the phospholipids BI-LAYER
o Involved in:
i. TRANSPORT across membrane.
ii. some chemical REACTIONS
iii. cell SIGNALLING

FLUID MOSAIC THEORY

The entire cell membrane theory is called the FLUID mosaic theory or MODEL.
o Fluid due to the fact that particles can MOVE past one another.
o Mosaic due to the fact that it is made up of many smaller COMPONENTS put together.

Transport Across the Cellular Membrane

Page 65-67

DIFFUSION: the PASSIVE movement material from an area of HIGH concentration to an area of LOW concentration.
(1) Osmosis: the DIFFUSION of WATER (only!!!)
NOTE: Solute + Solvent = Solution
SALT WATER SALT WATER

Page 66

THIS PROCESS STOPS WHEN OSMOTIC PRESSURE = PRESSURE EXERTED BY THE COLUMN OF FLUID
THAT COUNTERACTS IT.
o Effect of osmosis on cells:
a) Hypertonic medium: a solution more CONCENTRATED than the interior of the cell.
Too much

b) Hypotonic medium: a solution LESS concentrated than the interior of the cell.
Too little

REMEMBER: PLANT cells wont burst due to CELL WALL.

c) Isotonic medium: a solution with the SAME concentration as the interior of the cell.
SAME

Page 65 (2) Passive transport: SOLUTE movement across cell membranes

o Requires no ENERGY
o Material moves down its concentration GRADIENT
o Includes:
a) SIMPLE diffusion

b) FACILITATED diffusion/transport, in which specific CARRIER proteins allow a substance to move

down its CONCENTRATION gradient across the membrane (eg. Glucose and AMINO acids are
moved in this way)

Page 68-70

ACTIVE TRANSPORT across cell membranes:

o Requires ENERGY and usually a protein.
o Cells heavily involved in ACTIVE transport likely have many MITOCHONDRIA near the cell membrane.
o Material is moved AGAINST its concentration gradient
o May be accomplished using proteins that act as pumps or CHANNELS

o May be accomplished by:

1) Endocytosis: BULK movement of material into cell; substance is engulfed by MEMBRANE; VESICLES
forms which contains the substance.

Phagocytosis (cell EATING ) is when solids are taken in by endocytosis Can occur to bring
things into the cell for use or for destruction as with a WBC.
Pinocytosis (cell DRINKING) is when dissolved materials are taken in by endocytosis.

2) Exocytosis: The REVERSE of endocytosis.

Surface to Volume Ratio

As the size of cells increase the SURFACE AREA and volume DONT increase at the same rate.
o More volume = more NEEDS, more garbage made
o Surface area of a cell RESTRICTS the amount of MOVEMENT of good stuff in and bad stuff out.

Ratio 6:1

Ratio 3:1

As SIZE increases the RATIO decreases

o HIGHER requirement, LESS relative room to get it in/out.