3.

1 MOVEMENT OF SUBSTANCES ACROSS THE PLASMA MEMBRANE

3.1 THE MOVEMENT OF SUBSTANCES ACROSS THE PLASMA 3.1.1 Substances Required by Cells and Substances Eliminated from Cells 3.1.2 The Necessity for Movement of Substances Across the Plasma Membrane 3.1.3 The Structure of The Plasma Membrane 3.1.4 Permeability of The Plasma Membrane

3.1.1 Substances Required by Cells and Substances Eliminated from Cells

1.

2.
3.

All living cells carry out metabolism to stay alive. Metabolism refers to all the chemical activities taking place in the cell. Metabolism consist of two processes: a. Anabolism, which is building up of molecules. Examples are the syntheses of proteins and ATPs, which a cell needs. b. Catabolism, which is the breaking down of large molecules to smaller; simpler molecules. An example is the oxidation of glucose in the cell respiration.

4. A cell takes in raw substances for anabolism from its external environment. 5. Wastes from catabolism and excess substances are removed from the cell. 6. Also, water and various salts are either brought into, or are taken out of the cell. 7. Table 3.1 and Table 3.2 show some substances that leave the cell and some that enter the cell respectively.

Table 3.1 Substances that leave the cell

SUBSTANCE Carbon dioxide (animal cell) Oxygen (plant cell) Secretions Nitrogenous waste Excess water REASON OF REMOVAL A waste product of respiration

A waste product of photosynthesis Are cellular products for use in order parts of the body Are waste products from breakdown of excess proteins Osmoregulation

Table 3.2 Substance that enter the cell

SUBSTANCE Oxygen (animal cell) Carbon dioxide (plant cell) Glucose Amino Acids Ionic Salts REASON OF REMOVAL For cell respiration As a raw materials for protein synthesis For cell repsiration As aw materials for protein synthesis For cell metabolism and osmoregulation

3.1.2 The Necessity for Movement of Substance Across The Plasma Membrane
1. All movements of substances go through the cell membrane, which is also known as the plasma membrane 2. The necessities for the movement of substances across a plasma membrane are:
a) Cells need nutrients and oxygen. These pass through the plasma membrane from the external environment. b) Cells produce waste products which exit through the plasma membrane. c) The plasma membrane can control the types and the amounts of substances needed by the cell at any time.

THE NECESSITY FOR MOVEMENT OF SUBSTANCES ACROSS THE PLASMA MEMBRANE

External Environment Movement of substances out the cell plasma membrane cell

nucleus

Movement of substances into the cell

cytoplasm Figure 3.1 Movement of substances in and out of a cell

A MODEL OF PLASMA MEMBRANE

To understand the concept of the plasma membrane, we shall look at a) Basic unit of the plasma membrane b) Formation of the plasma membrane c) Other molecules present in the plasma membrane.

The Structure of Plasma Membrane

The basic unit of the plasma membrane is the phospholipid molecule. The phospholipid molecule consists of:
a. A polar phosphate molecule head which is hydrophilic and b. Two non-polar fatty acid tails which are hydrophobic.

Permeability of The Plasma Membrane

Permeability of The Plasma Membrane

Permeable

means allowing something to pass through The proteins and the phospholipids of the plasma membrane affect the permeability of the plasma membrane. The phospholipid bilayer is permeable to:

Small non-polar (hydrophobic) Small uncharged molecules