PLASMA MEMBRANE

Fluid Mosaic Model

o Phospholipid bilayer amphipathic
1. ONE hydrophilic polar head. Consists of:
- Phosphate group
- Glycerol backbone
- Head groups
2. TWO non-polar hydrocarbon tails
- Contribute to hydrophobicity of the phospholipids molecule
- Saturate and/or unsaturated

Double bond creates small kink in the tail

o Proteins are dispersed and individually inserted into the phospholipid
bilayer
o In FMM
1. Hydrophilic regions of proteins & phospholipids are in maximum
contact with water
2. Hydrophobic regions in nonaqueous environment
o FLUID of the plasma membrane
- Refers to molecules being able to diffuse freely within the membrane
leaflet
- Membrane is a dynamic structure where phospholipids and proteins
are able to move
(Lipids can move both laterally and transversely; proteins move
laterally due to weak interactions between the biomolecules)
- Membrane molecules held in place by relatively weak hydrophobic
interactions
- Most of the lipids and some proteins can drift laterally in the plane of
the membrane but rarely flip-flop (switching from one phospholipids
layer to another) from one layer to another. WHY?
Depends on both composition and temp : hydrophobic interior
general has low viscosity and fluid-like consistency
1. The more unsaturated the fatty acyl chains are more flexible
and fluid the membrane is.
*unsaturated FA have kinks in FA tails prevent close packing of
the molecules decrease amount of interaction btw adjacent FA
chains form less van der Waals interactions with other lipids
than saturated chains
2. Lipids with shorter FA chains are more fluid

A shorter chain length reduces tendency of hydrocarbon tais to

interact with one another. Compared to long chains short
chains have less SA to form VDW interactions with one another
- Larger proteins move more slowly but do drift
Some proteins move in a very directed manner, perhaps
guided/driven by motor proteins attached to the cytoskeleton
Others never move, anchored by cytoskeleton
o Mosaic
- Random arrangement of proteins which are embedded in the
phospholipid bilayer / Proteins dotted throughout the phospholipid
bilayer in a mosaic arrangement
o 2 types of proteins:
1. Peripheral (extrinsic)
- Occur on surface (not embedded in lipid bilayer)
- Bound to membranes
(a) Directly: interact with polar head groups of the phospholipids
(b) Indirectly: interact with intrinsic membrane proteins
- Dissociates from membrane mild treatments (eg pH changes
and high ionic salt conc)
2. Integral (intrinsic)
- Penetrate hydrophobic core of lipid bilayer
- Most are transmembrane proteins span the membrane
Others extend partway into the hydrophobic core
- Hydrophobic regions of integral proteins consist of one or more
stretches of non-polar AA usually coiled into a helices
Significance

Hydrophilic parts of molecule are exposed to the aqueous solutions

on either side of the membrane
-

Same have hydrophilic channel through centre allows passage of

hydrophilic substances

o Carbohydrates
- Present in plasma membrane
(Membrane carbs usually oligo saccharides with < 15 suger
units)
- Covalently bonded to proteins glycoproteins
- Covalently bounded to lipids
glycolipids
- On extracellular side of the plasma
membrane

1. Cell-cell
recognition
2. Cell-cell adhesion

COMPONENTS

CHARACTERISTICS

Phospholipid bilayer

Each phospholipid molecule is

amphipathic (1 hydrophilic
head & 2 hydrophobic tails)

Cholesterol

Carbs

Glycoprotein
s
Glycolipids

Found in btw phospholipid

molecules in membranes of
eukaryotes
Slightly amphipathic both
hydrophilic (hydroxyl group)
and hydrophobic (4 ring
structure) region

Carbs chains associated with

membrane proteins
Carbs chains covalently
associated directly with
hydrophobic tails of
membrane

FUNCTIONS
1.
2.
3.

Act as boundary btw intracellular & extracellular

environment
Allows compartmentalization within cell
Regulates the movement of substances into & out
of the cell

1. Regulates membrane fluidity (i.e stabilizes the

membrane.
Membrane is prevented from being overly fluid at
warmer temp cholesterol restricts phospholipid
movement through its interactions with the
phospholipids
The membrane is prevented from being overly
frim at lower temp as cholesterol prevents the
close packing of phospholipids prevents
solidification
Hence, cholesterol helps prevent extremes, whether
too fluid or too firm in the consistency of the cell
membrane.
1. Cell-cell recognition
-Carbs moieties of glycoproteins & lipids in cell
membranes may acts recognition sites to help
cells of the same type, identify & adhere to one
another during tissue formation & interactions.
2. Cell- to-cell attachment
- Carbohydrate of 2 adjacent cells may bind with
each other