11/18/22, 1:33 PM Cell Membrane Structure

Cell Membrane Structure

Cell surface membranes are structures that surround and encapsulate each cell.
extracellular environment. Membranes can also surround organelles within the cell, s
body, to separate it from the cytoplasm. 

 Deep dive
You will come across membrane-bound organelles very often during your A leve
nucleus, Golgi body, endoplasmic reticulum, mitochondria, lysosomes and chloro

What is the purpose of cell membranes?

Cell membranes serve three main purposes:

Cell communication 
Compartmentalization
Regulation of what enters and exits the cell

Cell communication

The cell membrane contains components called glycolipids and glycoproteins, w

section. These components can act as receptors and antigens for cell communication

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bind to these receptors or antigens and will initiate a chain of chemical reactions withi

Compartmentalisation 

Cell membranes keep incompatible metabolic reactions separated by enclosing the c

environment and the organelles from the cytoplasmic environment.  This is know
ensures that each cell and each organelle can maintain the optimal conditions for thei

Regulation of what enters and exits the cell 

The passage of materials entering and exiting the cell is mediated by the cell surfac
easily molecules can pass through the cell membrane - the cell membrane is a sem
some molecules can pass through.  It is highly permeable to small, uncharged pola
urea.  Meanwhile, the cell membrane is impermeable to large, charged nonpolar m
amino acids. The cell membrane also contains membrane proteins that allow the pass
explore this further in the next section. 

What is the cell membrane structure? 

The cell membrane structure is most commonly described using the  'fluid mosaic mo
cell membrane as a phospholipid bilayer containing proteins and cholesterol whic
bilayer. The cell membrane is 'fluid' as individual phospholipids can flexibly move with
the different membrane components are of different shapes and sizes. 

Let's take a closer look at the different components. 

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Phospholipids

Phospholipids contain two distinct regions - a     hydrophilic head     and a     hydroph

head interacts with water from the extracellular environment and the intracellular cy
hydrophobic tail forms a core inside the membrane as it is repelled by water. This is
fatty acid chains. As a result, a bilayer is formed from two layers of phospholipids. 

 Deep dive
You might see phospholipids being referred to as     amphipathic     molecules a
simultaneously contain a hydrophilic region and a hydrophobic region (so exactly

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Fig. 1 - Structure of a phospholipid

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The fatty acid tails can be either  saturated      or       unsaturated      .  Saturated fa

bonds. These results in straight fatty acid chains. Meanwhile, unsaturated fatty acids c
bond and this creates '     kinks     '. These kinks are slight bends in the fatty acid cha
the adjacent phospholipid. Cell membranes with a higher proportion of phospholipids
to be more fluid as the phospholipids are packed more loosely. 

Membrane proteins

There are two types of membrane proteins you will find distributed throughout the ph

Integral proteins, also called transmembrane proteins 

Peripheral proteins

Integral proteins span the length of the bilayer and are heavily involved in transport a
types of integral proteins: channel proteins and carrier proteins. 

Channel proteins      provide a hydrophilic channel for polar molecules, suc

membrane.  These are usually involved in facilitated diffusion and osmosis.  An exa
potassium ion channel. This channel protein allows the selective passage of potassium

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Fig. 2 - A channel protein embedded in a cell membrane

Carrier proteins  change their conformational shape for the passage of molecules
facilitated diffusion and active transport. A carrier protein involved in facilitated diffusi
allows the passage of glucose molecules across the membrane. 

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Fig. 3 - The conformational change of a carrier protein in a cell mem

Peripheral proteins  are different in that they are only found on one side of the bila
intracellular side. These proteins can function as enzymes, receptors or aid in maintain

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Fig. 4 - A peripheral protein positioned in a cell membrane

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Glycoproteins 

Glycoproteins are proteins with a carbohydrate component attached. Their main funct

and act as receptors for cell communication. For example, receptors that recognize i
in glucose storage. 

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Fig. 5 - A glycoprotein positioned in a cell membrane

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Glycolipids 

Glycolipids are similar to glycoproteins but instead, are lipids with a carbohydrate co
are great for cell adhesion. Glycolipids also function as recognition sites as antigens. T
by your immune system to determine if the cell belongs to you (self) or from a forei
recognition. 

Antigens also make up the different blood types. This means whether you are type A
type of glycolipid found on the surface of your red blood cells; this is also cell recognit

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Fig. 6 - A glycolipid positioned in a cell membrane

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Cholesterol 

Cholesterol molecules are similar to phospholipids in that they have a hydrophobic an

hydrophilic end of cholesterol to interact with the phospholipid heads while the
interacts with the phospholipid core of tails. Cholesterol serves two main functions:

Preventing water and ions from leaking out of the cell 

Regulating membrane fluidity 

Cholesterol is highly hydrophobic and this helps prevent the cell contents from leakin
inside the cell are less likely to escape. 

Cholesterol also prevents the cell membrane from being destroyed when tempera
higher temperatures, cholesterol decreases membrane fluidity to prevent large gaps
phospholipids. Meanwhile, at colder temperatures, cholesterol will prevent the crystal

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Fig. 7 - Cholesterol molecules in a cell membrane

What factors affect the cell membrane struct

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We previously discussed the cell membrane functions which included regulating w

perform these vital functions, we need to maintain the cell membrane shape and str
that can affect this. 

Solvents 

The phospholipid bilayer is arranged with the hydrophilic heads facing the aqueous
tails forming a core away from the aqueous environment.  This configuration is only
solvent. 

Water is a polar solvent and if cells are placed in less polar solvents, the cell membra
ethanol is a nonpolar solvent that can dissolve cell membranes and therefore dest
membrane becomes highly permeable and the structure breaks down, enabling the c

Temperature

Cells function best at the optimal temperature of 37 ° c. At higher temperatures, cell m
permeable. This is because the phospholipids have more kinetic energy and move
pass through the bilayer more easily. 

What's more, the membrane proteins involved in transport can also become  dena
enough. This also contributes to the breakdown of the cell membrane structure. 

At lower temperatures, the cell membrane becomes stiffer as the phospholipids hav
cell membrane fluidity decreases and the transport of substances is hindered. 

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Investigating cell membrane permeability 

Betalain is the pigment responsible for the red color of beetroot. Disruptions to the ce
cells cause the betalain pigment to leak out into its surroundings.  Beetroot cells
membranes so, in this practical, we are going to investigate how temperature
membranes.

Below are the steps:

1. Cut 6 pieces of beetroot using a cork borer. Make sure each piece is of equal siz
2. Wash the beetroot piece in water to remove any pigment on the surface.
3. Place the beetroot pieces in 150ml of distilled water and place in a water bath at
4. Increase the water bath in 10 ° C intervals. Do this until you reach 80ºc.
5. Take a 5ml sample of the water using a pipette 5 minutes after each temperature
6. Take the absorbance reading of each sample using a colorimeter that has been
colorimeter. 
7. Plot the absorbance (Y-axis) against temperature (X-axis) using the absorbance d

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Fig. 8 - Experimental set-up for cell membrane permeability investigation, using a wa

From the example graph below, we can conclude that between 50-60ºc, the cell
because the absorbance reading has notably increased, meaning that there is betala
absorbed the light from the colorimeter.  As there is betalain pigment present in th
membrane structure has been disrupted, making it highly permeable. 

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Fig. 9 - Graph displaying absorbance against temperature from the cell membrane pe

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Deep dive

A higher absorbance reading indicates that there was more betalain pigment pre
the blue light. This indicates that more pigment has leaked out and therefore, the
permeable. 

Cell Membrane Structure - Key ta

The cell membrane has three main functions: cell communication, compartmen
enters and exits the cell. 
The cell membrane structure is comprised of phospholipids, membrane proteins
cholesterol. This is described as the 'fluid mosaic model'.
Solvents and temperature affect the cell membrane structure and permeability. 
To investigate how temperature affects cell membrane permeability, beetroot ce
cells in distilled water of different temperatures and use a colorimeter to analyz
absorbance reading indicates more pigment is present in the solution and
permeable. 

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