Plasma Membrane and Functions

Passive transport- Movement of particules from area of high concentration to low

concentration without the use of ATP
Diffusion

 Process by which molecules and ions move into, out of and around cells.
 Results from random movement of individual molecules and ions.
 Net movement of these particles from a region where they are more concentrated to a
region where they are less concentrated.
 Movement down/across/along a concentration gradient.
 Movement continues until equilibrium is reached.
NB. Small non-polar molecules (e.g. carbon dioxide and oxygen) and polar molecules (e.g.
water) can permeate or pass through the lipid bilayer of the plasma membrane by diffusion
Facillitated diffusion
 Facilitated diffusion is the passage of ions and polar molecules in the direction dictated
by the concentration gradient with the aid of specific transport proteins embedded in
the lipid bilayer.
 Large molecules such as sugars and amino acids are polar and require transport proteins
to move them across membranes.
  Transport proteins are highly selective transmembrane proteins that provide specific
solutes or molecules with a continuous pathway through a membrane
 There are two types of transport protein: carrier proteins and channel proteins.
o Carrier proteins undergo a series of conformational changes in order to
transport the solute across the membrane.
 Conformational changes are changes in the protein’s tertiary and
quaternary structure.
o Channel proteins form water-filled pores that extend across the membrane and
which open to allow specific ions to pass through from the outside of the cell to
inside or vice versa.
 These ion channels have ‘gates’ that open and close to allow the ions to
pass. This is called ‘gating’

Glucose is the major energy source for most mammalian cells. Mammalian cells have a carrier
protein called a glucose transporter that facilitates the uptake of glucose. Glucose is rapidly
metabolised as soon as it enters cells and, therefore, there is usually a strong concentration
gradient favouring glucose entry into a cell.
There is a higher glucose concentration outside the cell in the blood capillaries and the intestine
than inside the cell and glucose travels easily from the high concentration area outside the cells
to the low concentration area inside the cells
Osmosis-
 Osmosis is a special type of diffusion that refers to the movement of water
molecules through a partially or selectively permeable membrane that
separates solutions of different concentrations (water potentials)
 A selectively permeable membrane permits the passage of some substances
while blocking the passage of others.
 The diffusion of water is not affected by what is dissolved in the water, only by
how much is dissolved.

Water potential
 Water molecules move from one place to another because of differences in potential
energy.
o Potential energy is the stored energy an object possesses because of its position.
 The potential energy of water is called water potential.
 The symbol used is Ψ, psi
 Water always moves from a region of higher water potential to a region of lower water
potential
NB.
Water potential is affected by the concentration of dissolved particules or solutes in a solution
As the concentration of solutes particles increases the water potential decreases.
Water potential increases when the concentration of solute particles decreases
Water molecules move from region of lower solute concentration to regions of higher solute
concentration
Types of Solution
A hypotonic solution has a larger amount of water molecules than the solution that surrounds
it or is beside it. We can say that it is more dilute.

An isotonic solution has the same amount of water particles per unit volume as the solution
that surrounds it or is beside it.

A hypertonic solution has a smaller amount of water particles that the solution that surrounds
it or is beside it. We can say that it is more concentrated.

ACTIVE TRANSPORT
 Active transport is the transport of substances (molecules and ions) across a membrane
against a concentration gradient or electrochemical gradient.
 Active transport usually uses energy in the form of ATP.
 ATPase – Adenosine triphosphatase
 Carrier proteins are always involved.

Examples -primary active transport

 The process by which membrane-bound pumps actively transport cations against their
concentration gradients.
 ATPase – Adenosine triphosphatase
 ATPase is an enzyme that catalyses the hydrolysis of ATP to ADP
o It uses the energy to transport protons (H+) across a membrane against their
concentration gradient.
  Nerve cells
 More potassium ions inside than outside
 More sodium outside than inside
 These ions are transported in opposite directions against their concentration
gradient.
o 3 sodium ions are pumped out
o 2 potassium ions are pumped in

VESICLE-MEDIATED TRANSPORT
 Large molecules such as proteins and polysaccharides cannot cross the plasma
membrane by means of transport proteins.
 These large molecules are transported in vesicles that bud off from the Golgi complex
and fuse with the plasma membrane.
 This process is called vesicle-mediated transport.
 Examples are endocytosis and exocytosis
ENDOCYTOSIS
 Endocytosis is the process by which particulate matter or substances are taken up by the
cell in bulk.
 During endocytosis, the plasma membrane bulges inward to form a pocket to enclose
the substance and form a vesicle.
 The vesicle then migrates to the interior of the cell.
 There are three types of endocytosis:
o phagocytosis
o pinocytosis and
o receptor-mediated endocytosis
Phagocytosis
 In phagocytosis, part of the plasma membrane invaginates and engulfs large particles or
entire cells in a vesicle called a phagosome.
 Phagocytosis is used as a cellular feeding process by some white blood cells that defend
the human body against pathogens.
 The phagosome fuses with a lysosome and its contents are digested.
 Remember that a lysosome contains digestive enzymes

Pinocytosis
 Pinocytosis is a method by which cells rapidly acquire fluids from the blood.
 In pinocytosis, tiny vesicles form in the plasma membrane and these bring small
dissolved substances or fluids into the cell.
 Pinocytosis goes on constantly in endothelia of capillaries in humans.
o The endothelium is the single layer of cells that separates a blood capillary from
surrounding tissue

RECEPTOR-MEDIATED ENDOCYTOSIS
 Receptor-mediated endocytosis is used by animal cells to capture specific macromolecules from the cell’s environment.

 In this process, receptor proteins at particular sites on the outer surface of the plasma membrane bind

 When a receptor protein binds to its specific macromolecule, a vesicle forms and migrates into the cytoplasm.

 Receptor-mediated endocytosis is the method by which cholesterol is taken up by most mammalian cells.

 Phagocytosis- bringing solid things into the cell

 Pinocytosis- bringing liquid things into the cell

 Receptor-mediated endocytosis – bringing in particles attached to receptors on cell membrane.

Exocytosis
 Exocytosis is the process by which particulate matter or dissolved substances are
enclosed in a vesicle and transported to the cell surface.
 The membrane of the vesicle fuses with the plasma membrane and expels the vesicle’s
contents.
 The mucilage on root hairs and the materials that make up the plant cell wall matrix
are delivered to the areas where they are needed by exocytosis.
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