Modern cell theory
Prokaryotic cell
Eukaryotic cell
Large and complex
10 - 100 micrometer
Unicellular or multicellular
Has a nucleus
Linear DNA
Paired diploid
Has a membrane bound organelles
Mostly reproduce sexually
Cell division by mitosis
What are the similarities between prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells?
They both have:
Cell membrane
Cytoplasm
Ribosomes
DNA (but in different shapes)
Cytoplasm
Intercellular liquid with a gel like consistency
- refer to the total content of the liquid
Plasma membrane
• Delimits the cytoplasm
• ** Composed of:* *
Phospholipids, cholesterol and proteins with some oligosacharide chains
• Selectively permeable
• 5-10 nm thick
• lipid bilayer
• hydrophilic areas points outward while the hydrophobic areas points toward one another
• flexible (“fluid”)
Why is the plasma membrane considered flexible?
phospholipids can drift to positions elsewhere in the membrane ( rotational, lateral, transverse “flip flop “ )
What affects the membrane fluidity ?
** number of double bonds in the tail **
More “kinks”, less packed, more fluid
More unsaturated tails, more fluid
** cholesterol concentration **
Cholesterol function as a buffer - prevents from higher temp. From increasing fluidly and lower temp. From inhibiting fluidity.
Cholesterol stiffens membranes making them rigid - decreases lipid membrane permeability
What are sterols?
Family of lipids
Carbon skeleton consisting of 4 fused rings - also known as steroid nucleus
3 ring with 6 carbons and 1 with 5
Planar
Very rigid
What is cholesterol?
Type of steroid (most common)
Amphipathic molecule
Integral components of cell membranes
What types of cells can cholesterol be found in?
Only animals cells (humans included )
In plants there is ** phytosterol **
Prokaryotes don’t have cholesterol
The relationship between membrane fluidity and temp.
A more rigid membrane has a higher melting point
Temp. Increases → kinetic energy of lipids increases → intermolecular interactions between lipids get weaker → increasing membrane fluidity
Selective permeability
The plasma membrane creates an effective barrier between the cell and the extracellular environment
Prevents water soluble content inside the cell from escaping outside
Oxygen & carbon dioxide can easily travel though
What is the fluid mosaic model ?
Fluid = the ability of the phospholipids to freely diffuse within their own lipid mono -layer.
Mosaic = the whole structure of the plasma membrane as “‘mosaic” of components
What are the three major classes of membrane lipid molecules?
Phospholipids
Sterols
Glycolipids
What are lipid rafts?
Combination of membrane proteins with different types of lipids and carbohydrates that creat specialized membrane domain
Can drift freely laterally within the membrane bilayer.
integral membrane proteins
What are Channels?
Integral membrane protein
Allow ions & other molecules to ** passively ** diffuse through them
What are transporters?
Integral membrane proteins
What are pumps?
Integral membrane proteins
Actively transport molecules into and out of the cell
What are enzymes?
Integral membrane proteins
Catalysts that meet some metabolic needs
What are receptors?
Integral membrane proteins
What types are there for integral membrane proteins?
Channels
Transporters
Pumps
Enzymes
Receptors
Passive transport
Molecules that cross the membrane without use of energy (- water, ions, hormones … )
Include - diffusion, facilitated diffusion, osmosis