CELL MEMBRANES

The Fluid-Mosaic Model

This is an introduction to the structure and function of cell membranes. It is designed to be a self-contained unit with links to other, related material.

THE FUNCTION OF CELL MEMBRANES

Compartmentalization of tissues Regulation of cell contents Provides surface for enzymes, receptors, recognition, etc.

It is thought by some that the spontaneous organization of membranes played an important role in the evolution of life.

PHOSPHOLIPIDS: The Backbone of the Membrane

Cartoon of a phospholipid molecule

Glycerol plus polar side group

This cartoon depicts the basic amphipathic* structure common to all phospholipids
Fatty acids

* both polar and non-polar regions

WATER MOLECULES ARE POLAR

Structure of water and the Cartoon version Water is a dipole

d/2 + H
d O +

d/2 + H

Oxygen pulls electrons towards itself causing a charge imballance (d-)

Water is a good solvent for polar molecules and ions

Hydration Shells

PHOSPHOLIPIDS

Cartoon of a phospholipid molecule

MIX OIL WATER AND TEST SUBSTANCE OIL WAIT

OIL/WATER PARTITION: THE KITCHEN EXPERIMENT

CONCENTRATION OF TEST SUBSTANCE IN WATER OIL/ CONCENTRATION OF TEST SUBSTANCE IN WATER = OIL WATER PARTITION COEFFICIENT (OWPC=K) K > 1 HYDROPHOBIC (NON-POLAR) K < 1 HYDROPHILIC (POLAR)

MIXING PHOSPHOLIPIDS AND WATER: Spontaneous Self-Organization

Click to next slide to see the spontaneous self-organization

MIXING PHOSPHOLIPIDS AND WATER: Spontaneous Self-Organization

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MIXING PHOSPHOLIPIDS AND WATER: Spontaneous SelfOrganization

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MIXING PHOSPHOLIPIDS AND WATER: Spontaneous SelfOrganization

Phospholipids plus water make a selforganizing system

Low lipid/water ratio - micelles High lipid/water ratio - lamellae Single lamellae = bilayer or sheet

Sheet

Micelle

The Black Lipid Membrane (BLM)

Formed across a small hole in a teflon beaker using a sable artists brush Viewed with an optical system Looks like a soap bubble with large patches of black where the bilayer forms Used as a laboratory model of the cell membrane

The Black Lipid Membrane (BLM)

Experimental Setup
Outer Beaker Inner Beaker

Microscope

Light Source

Permeability of the BLM mol/sec-sq. cm.

The Black Lipid Membrane Could be used to Show what else is in Cell Membranes

It has too low permeability for ionsit needs protein and polypeptide to help them get through (channels and carriers) It needs cholesterol for proper fluidity It needs carbohydrate to provides cell recogtnition properties

The membrane is fluid

The membrane is fluid

The membrane is fluid

The membrane is fluid

Cholesterol sits between fatty tails

Proteins can span the bilayer

Hydrophilic

Hydrophobic

The fluid-mosaic model

Lipid bilayer Cholesterol between tails Protein, Glycoprotein, Lipoprotein dissolved in the lipid portion

The fluid-mosaic model

Channels and carriers are needed to get ions across the bilayer

Channels and carriers are needed to get ions across the bilayer

Cell Membranes Become Network Elements in Tissue Membranes

Epithelia are tissue membranes made up of cells Network Thermodynamics provides a way of modeling these composite membranes Often more than one flow goes through the tissue

An Epithelial Membrane in Cartoon Form:

A Network Model of Coupled Salt and Volume Flow Through an Epithelium CL PL

LUMEN AM CELL TJ

BL BM
BLOOD CB PB

What to do now?

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