Cell Boundaries

Chapter 6
What are boundaries?
§ We have borders
surrounding
countries
§ We have boundaries
on a playing field
§ Why are borders
important?
What are the borders
of a cell?
§ Cell membrane
§ Thin, flexible barrier
§ Cell wall
§ Plant, algae, fungi, prokaryotes
§ Strong supporting layer
Cell Membrane
§ What does it do for cell?
§ Controls what goes in and out
§ Regulates molecules moving from one liquid
side of the cell to the other liquid side of the
cell
§ Protects
§ Supports
§
 Cell Membrane
§ Lipid bilayer
§ What are lipids?
§ What does bi- mean?
§ What’s a layer?


§ A cell membrane is made of two

§
layers of lipid molecules
 Cell membrane
§ Phospholipids bilayer
§ Made of a negatively
charged phosphate
“head”
§ PO43-
§ Attracts water because the
phosphate is charged (-)

§ Water is a polar , slightly positive

ends and slightly negative ends

§ Attached to the phosphate

group are 2 fatty acid
chains
§ Hydrophobic= don’t like
water
§ So the inside of the cell
membrane doesn’t let
water in but the
Other things in the
membrane…
§ Proteins embedded
in lipid bilayer
§ Carbohydrates
attached to
proteins
§ So many different
molecules in
membrane, we call
it a “mosaic” of
different molecules
Proteins
§ Proteins help things
get across
membrane
§ Kinda like a pump
Carbohydrates…
§ Chemical
identification cards
§ “ID” card of cell
§ Helps individual cells
id each other
 Cell Walls
§ Outside cell membrane
(does NOT replace
membrane!!!)
§ Plants, algae, fungi,
prokaryotes
§ Have pores to allow
things in
§ Function: SUPPORT and
PROTECT
Cell walls made of…
§ Protein and carbs
§ Plant cell walls made
up of CELLULOSE
§ This is a tough
carbohydrate
§ Wood and paper
The Cell Membrane

§ A biological membrane
§ Cells exist in liquid environments
§ Things need to get in and out of cell
§ Different ways to do this….
§
Concentration (conc.)
§ Solution
§ Mix of 2 or more substances
§ Solutes
§ Substance dissolved in solution
§ Concentration is mass of SOLUTE in a given volume of
solution (g/L)
§ What is the concentration of 12 grams of salt dissolved
in 3 liters of water?
§ 12g/3L= 4g/L
Diffusion
§ Particles constantly move
§ Collide randomly
§ Spread out randomly
§ Diffusion is moving from area of HIGH conc. to
area of LOW conc.
Equilibrium
§ When the conc. Of a
system is the same
throughout
§ (same conc. on both
sides)
§
What’s this have to do
with cells?
§ Cell have liquid inside and are found in liquid
environment
§ We have substances (solutes) inside and
outside cell
§ Unequal concentrations means we get
DIFFUSION!!!
§ B/c diffusion depends on random particle
movements, substances diffuse across
membranes without requiring the cell to use
energy
 What happens when we
reach equilibrium?
§ Particles continue moving across membrane but in
both directions!
***No more changes in concentration
Problems for
diffusion…
§ Things too large
§ Charged molecules
§ Positive/negative
§ Opposites attract but likes do not…
§ These all present serious problems for
things getting across membranes…
If things can cross a
membrane we call the
membrane PERMEABLE
If things canNOT cross
a membr ane we call
the membr ane
IMPERMEABLE
Biological membranes
are…
§ SEMI-PERMEABLE
§ Aka…
§ Selectively permeable
§ Cell membranes are picky
Osmosis
§ Water (H2O) can
pass easily through
most biological
membranes
§ Def:
§ Diffusion of Water
through a semi-
permeable
membrane
§
How Osmosis works…
§ We have water molecules and some
other molecules, let’s say sugar
§ If we have more water on one side of the
membrane (HIGH conc. of H2O), then
the water will diffuse across…
§ Membrane will let water thru but not
sugar
§ Water can move back and forth (not
sugar)
§
§
 Water moves from areas
of HIGH conc. To areas
of LOW conc.
§ Water moves across till equilibrium is reached
§ Isotonic:
§ when conc. of water = conc. of sugar
§ Hypertonic: “above strength”
§ When we begin with more sugar in water
§ More concentrated sugar solution on side A
§ Hypotonic: “below strength”
§ When we end with less sugar
§ Dilute sugar solution on side A
§
Osmotic Pressure

§
§
How do big molecules
diffuse across a
membrane so quickly if
the membrane is
selectively permeable?
Facilitated Diffusion
§ What does facilitate mean?
§ Proteins are the extra help
§ “escorts” across the membrane
§ We call these protein channels…
§ Allow specific things thru
Facilitated Diffusion
(continued)
§ FAST
§ SPECIFIC
§ Still diffusion
so we only
see it from
high
concentratio
n to low
§ Does NOT
require
energy
What about when we
want to go against the
concentration?

(Fr om low concentr ation

to high?)
What do we need???

§ENERGY!!!!
 ACTIVE transport
§ Process that moves molecules against the concentration
gradient
§ Requires ENERGY
§ A protein pumps small molecules and ions across a cell
membrane against the conc. Gradient
§ Electrochemical gradient
§ membrane potential
§ To pump large molecules and clumps…
§ 2 other processes:
§ Exocytosis
§ Endocytosis
§ The can change shape of membrane
§
Types of Active
transport
§ Molecular Transport
§ When small ions and molecules are carried
across membrane
§ Endocytosis
§ Endo- means….
§ -Cyto- means…
§ -sis mean….
§ Exocytosis
§ Exo- means….
§ -Cyto- means…
§ -sis mean….
§
Molecular Transport

§ Proteins are used to pump small

molecules and ions across membrane
even against the conc. Gradient
§ The cell devotes a lot of ENERGY to
pumping things across membrane
§ Potassium, calcium, and sodium are
some things that need to pumped
across
Endocytosis
§ When cells need to take in large material
§ Process of taking material into the cell by
process of infolding, or pockets, of the
cell membrane
§ Pocket breaks loose from cell membrane
and forms a vacuole inside the cell
§ Two Types…
§ Phagocytosis
§ Pinocytosis
Two types of
endocytosis:
 1. Phagocytosis
§ “cell eating”
§ Extensions of cytoplasm surround the
particle and package it within a food
vacuole
§ Cell then engulfs the package
§ Amoebas
 2. Pinocytosis
§ “cell drinking”
§ When cell needs to take up liquid
§ Tiny pockets in cell membrane form
§ Fill with liquid
§ Then pinch off to form vacuoles inside of
cell
§
Exocytosis
§ Exo- means…
§ Cyto means…
§ Sis means…
§ When cell releases large amounts of material
§ Excretes stuff
§ Membrane of vacuole surrounding particle
inside cell fuses with the cell membrane
§ The contents in vacuole are then forced out of
the cell
§ We see this in removal of water by contractile
vacuoles
MEMBRANE MAMBO!!!