Cell Biology: Membrane Transport Concepts
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Questions and Answers

What percentage of living matter by weight is accounted for by small molecules such as water and organic ions?

  • 25 - 30%
  • 50 - 60%
  • 75 - 80% (correct)
  • 90 - 95%
  • Which of the following best describes the primary function of small molecules in cells?

  • They serve mainly as storage for genetic information.
  • They primarily assist in cellular structure formation.
  • They act as precursors for the synthesis of macromolecules. (correct)
  • They regulate cellular temperature.
  • What type of molecules can primarily passively diffuse across the phospholipid bilayer of the plasma membrane?

  • Polypeptides
  • Ionic compounds
  • Large, charged molecules
  • Small, hydrophobic molecules (correct)
  • Facilitated diffusion is characterized by which of the following statements?

    <p>It is always energetically downhill. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary role of carrier proteins in facilitated diffusion?

    <p>To bind and transport solutes across the membrane (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What distinguishes channel proteins from carrier proteins in membrane transport?

    <p>Only carrier proteins undergo conformational changes. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which type of transport occurs spontaneously due to a positive delta S value and a negative delta G?

    <p>Simple diffusion (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What type of molecules does facilitated diffusion particularly allow to cross the plasma membrane?

    <p>Polar and charged molecules (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary function of uniporters in cellular transport?

    <p>Transport a single type of molecule down its concentration gradient (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What distinguishes gated ion channels from non-gated channels?

    <p>Gated channels open in response to specific signals (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which type of ion channel opens in response to mechanical vibration or pressure?

    <p>Mechanically-gated channels (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What drives the process of primary active transport?

    <p>Coupled reactions like ATP hydrolysis (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What characteristic allows aquaporins to facilitate rapid water movement across membranes?

    <p>They provide a hydrophilic pathway for water molecules (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which biological process is facilitated by cotransporters?

    <p>Utilizing the energy of an electrochemical gradient (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the role of ion pumps in a cell's plasma membrane?

    <p>Maintaining gradients of ions across the membrane (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which type of transport is characterized by molecules moving from areas of high concentration to areas of low concentration without the use of energy?

    <p>Facilitated diffusion (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which statement accurately describes sphingolipids?

    <p>They contain a long-chain fatty acid attached to sphingosine amino group. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the basic structure of sterols?

    <p>A four-ring hydrocarbon structure. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which type of membrane protein interacts with the hydrophobic core of the phospholipid bilayer?

    <p>Integral membrane proteins. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which function of the plasma membrane involves enclosing the contents of the cell?

    <p>Compartmentalization. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Where are carbohydrate chains located on transmembrane proteins?

    <p>In the exoplasmic face of the membrane. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What type of membrane proteins are bound covalently to one or more lipid molecules?

    <p>Lipid-anchored proteins. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What characteristic do peripheral membrane proteins lack?

    <p>Spanning the phospholipid bilayer. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following is a role of the plasma membrane in response to external stimuli?

    <p>Signal transduction. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary role of the rough endoplasmic reticulum (ER)?

    <p>Protein synthesis (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which organelle is responsible for the destruction of a cell's own organelles?

    <p>Lysosomes (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following functions is NOT associated with the Golgi apparatus?

    <p>Synthesis of steroid hormones (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What characterizes phosphoglycerides as a class of lipids?

    <p>They are the most abundant lipids in membranes. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which component of the endomembrane system is involved in protein transport and modification?

    <p>Golgi apparatus (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What process do lysosomes participate in besides autophagy?

    <p>Phagocytosis (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What specific function does the smooth endoplasmic reticulum serve?

    <p>Lipid synthesis (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which statement about amphipathic molecules is true?

    <p>They contain both hydrophilic and hydrophobic regions. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What mechanism allows eukaryotic cells to take up macromolecules from their environment?

    <p>Endocytosis (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which type of endocytosis is characterized by the uptake of soluble materials?

    <p>Pinocytosis (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What triggers the process of phagocytosis?

    <p>Binding of large particles to surface receptors (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which type of phagocyte is NOT considered a professional phagocyte in mammals?

    <p>Eosinophils (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What forms the intracellular vesicles during receptor-mediated endocytosis?

    <p>Clathrin-coated pits (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    How does the process of phagocytosis ultimately lead to digestion of engulfed materials?

    <p>By fusing phagosomes with lysosomes to form phagolysosomes (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What characterizes receptor-mediated endocytosis in terms of selectivity?

    <p>It selectively targets macromolecules that bind to cell surface receptors. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary role of the LDL receptor in relation to cholesterol?

    <p>To facilitate the uptake of cholesterol into cells. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What do clathrin-coated pits on the plasma membrane primarily facilitate?

    <p>Selective uptake of extracellular materials (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What condition is associated with a variant in the LDLR gene?

    <p>Familial hypercholesterolemia. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which statement best describes the process of constitutive exocytosis?

    <p>It continually releases materials without specific triggers. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What triggers regulated exocytosis in β cells of the pancreas?

    <p>Increase in blood glucose concentration. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the ultimate outcome of exocytosis?

    <p>Contents are released into the extracellular fluid. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which type of exocytosis occurs randomly and continuously?

    <p>Constitutive exocytosis. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following best describes clathrin-coated vesicles?

    <p>They are involved in receptor-mediated endocytosis. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What molecular change triggers the exocytosis of insulin from β cells?

    <p>Closure of K+ channels. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Flashcards

    Passive Diffusion

    Small, hydrophobic molecules crossing the cell membrane without energy, following a concentration gradient.

    Facilitated Diffusion

    Polar or charged molecules crossing the cell membrane with help from proteins (channels or carriers), still following a concentration gradient.

    Carrier Proteins

    Membrane proteins that bind to a molecule and change shape to move it across the cell membrane.

    Channel Proteins

    Membrane proteins creating a channel through the cell membrane for molecules to pass.

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    Small Molecules

    Water, ions, and small organic molecules (like sugars, vitamins)

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    Plasma Membrane Permeability

    The cell membrane allows certain molecules to pass through while blocking others.

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    Active Transport

    Moving molecules against a concentration gradient using cell energy (ATP).

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    Transport of Small Molecules

    Movement of small inorganic ions, water, and small organic molecules in and out of cells.

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    Uniporter

    A carrier protein that transports a single type of molecule down its concentration gradient.

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    Aquaporin

    Water channel proteins that allow rapid water movement across the membrane.

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    Ion channel

    Channel proteins that transport ions across the membrane.

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    Ion channel properties (selectivity)

    The narrow pores in the channel only allow ions of the correct size and charge to pass.

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    Gated ion channel

    Ion channels that open in response to specific signals (e.g., ligands, voltage, pressure).

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    Primary active transport

    Uses energy (like ATP hydrolysis) to move molecules against their concentration gradient.

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    Cotransport (Secondary Active Transport)

    Uses energy stored in an electrochemical gradient to transport molecules.

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    Endomembrane System

    A network of interconnected internal membranes within eukaryotic cells, involved in protein synthesis, modification, transport, and other cellular processes.

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    Rough Endoplasmic Reticulum (RER)

    A network of interconnected membrane sacs studded with ribosomes, involved in protein synthesis, folding, modification, and transport.

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    Smooth Endoplasmic Reticulum (SER)

    A network of interconnected membrane tubules without ribosomes, involved in lipid synthesis, steroid hormone production, and detoxification.

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    Golgi Apparatus

    A stack of flattened membrane sacs called cisternae, involved in protein sorting, modification, packaging, and secretion.

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    Lysosomes

    Membrane-bound organelles containing hydrolytic enzymes, responsible for cellular digestion and waste disposal.

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    Plasma Membrane

    A selectively permeable phospholipid bilayer that forms the outer boundary of cells, regulating the movement of molecules in and out of the cell.

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    Amphipathic Lipids

    Molecules with both hydrophilic (water-loving) and hydrophobic (water-fearing) regions, forming the basis of the plasma membrane structure.

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    Phosphoglycerides

    The most abundant class of lipids in membranes, containing a glycerol backbone, phosphate group, and an alcohol, forming the hydrophilic head and hydrophobic tails.

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    Phospholipid Structure

    A phospholipid has a hydrophilic head (phosphate group) and a hydrophobic tail (fatty acid chain).

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    Sphingolipids

    These lipids are derived from sphingosine and contain a fatty acid attached to the amino group. Glycosphingolipids are a type of sphingolipid with sugar head groups.

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    Sterols

    Sterols are four-ring hydrocarbons, with cholesterol being the most abundant in mammalian cell membranes.

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    Integral Membrane Proteins

    These proteins span the entire phospholipid bilayer, having hydrophilic regions facing the aqueous environment and hydrophobic regions embedded in the membrane.

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    Lipid-Anchored Membrane Proteins

    These proteins are attached to the membrane by covalent bonds with one or more lipid molecules.

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    Peripheral Membrane Proteins

    These proteins do not interact with the hydrophobic core of the membrane and are localized to the cytosolic or exoplasmic face.

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    Carbohydrate Chains

    Transmembrane proteins can have carbohydrate chains attached, always located on the exoplasmic face. These chains interact with the extracellular environment.

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    Plasma Membrane Functions

    The plasma membrane provides compartmentalization, acts as a scaffold for biochemical activities, controls molecule movement, transports solutes, and responds to external stimuli.

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    Macromolecules

    Large, complex molecules like proteins, nucleic acids, carbohydrates, and lipids. They are too big for transport proteins or pumps.

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    Endocytosis

    A process by which eukaryotic cells take in large molecules or particles from their surroundings by forming vesicles from the plasma membrane.

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    Pinocytosis

    A type of endocytosis where the cell takes in soluble materials from the environment and packages them in vesicles for digestion. It's not specific about what it takes in.

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    Receptor-Mediated Endocytosis

    Specific type of endocytosis where cells take in molecules by binding to receptors on the cell surface. Receptors are concentrated in clathrin-coated pits.

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    Phagocytosis

    A type of endocytosis where cells engulf large particles, like microorganisms or dead cells, by forming large vesicles called phagosomes. It involves the extension of pseudopodia (actin-based movement) to enclose the particle.

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    Professional Phagocytes

    Macrophages, neutrophils, and dendritic cells in mammals are specialized white blood cells that engulf and destroy foreign particles.

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    Clathrin-Coated Pits

    Specific regions of the plasma membrane where proteins are concentrated, forming coated vesicles during receptor-mediated endocytosis.

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    Phagolysosomes

    Vesicles formed by the fusion of phagosomes (containing engulfed particles) with lysosomes (containing digestive enzymes).

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    LDL (Low-Density Lipoprotein)

    A type of lipoprotein particle that carries cholesterol in the bloodstream, important for delivering cholesterol to cells.

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    Familial Hypercholesterolemia

    A genetic disorder where individuals have extremely high cholesterol levels due to mutations in the LDL receptor gene, increasing risk of heart disease.

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    Clathrin-coated vesicles

    Small, spherical sacs formed by the inward budding of clathrin-coated pits, carrying molecules into the cell.

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    Constitutive Exocytosis

    A continuous process by which cells release molecules from the Golgi apparatus to the cell surface, without specific signals.

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    Regulated Exocytosis

    The release of molecules from cells in response to specific signals, like hormones, neurotransmitters, or changes in cell conditions.

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    Study Notes

    Molecular Transport - Transport of Small Molecules

    • Small molecules (water, inorganic ions, and relatively small organic molecules) make up 75-80% of living matter by weight
    • Cells import ions, water and small organic molecules
    • Cells make and alter small organic molecules through various chemical reactions
    • Small molecules perform several functions:
      • Precursors for macromolecule synthesis
      • Energy storage and distribution
      • Signaling

    Transport Across the Plasma Membrane

    • Plasma membranes are selectively permeable
    • Permeability is determined by size, charge, and solubility
    • Small, relatively hydrophobic molecules diffuse across the phospholipid bilayer
    • Larger or charged molecules cannot readily pass through

    Passive Transport

    • Includes simple and facilitated diffusion
      • Simple diffusion: Molecules dissolve into the phospholipid bilayer, diffuse across, and then dissolve into the aqueous solution on the other side
      • Facilitated diffusion: Uses protein channels or carriers to move polar or charged molecules across the membrane down their concentration gradient
      • Facilitated diffusion - Carrier proteins:
        • Bind to a solute
        • Undergo conformational changes to transport the solute across the membrane
        • Uniporter, symporter, antiporter
      • Facilitated diffusion - Channel proteins:
        • Form hydrophilic passageways
        • Allow water or specific ions and small molecules to pass along their concentration or electric potential gradients
        • Non-gated (always open) and gated (open in response to signals)
        • Aquaporins help water move quickly across the membrane

    Active Transport

    • Requires energy (often ATP) to move molecules against their concentration or electrochemical gradient
      • Primary active transport: ATP directly fuels the transport
        • Ion pumps (e.g., Na+/K+ ATPase)
      • Secondary active transport (Cotransport): Uses energy stored in an electrochemical gradient created by primary active transport to move other molecules
        • Symporters move molecules in the same direction
        • Antiporters move molecules in opposite directions

    Ion Channel Properties

    • Transport through channels is very rapid
    • Ion channels are highly selective (size and charge)
    • Non-gated ion channels are permanently open
    • Gated ion channels are not permanently open
      • Ligand-gated ion channels: Open in response to ligands (signaling molecules)
      • Voltage-gated ion channels: respond to changes in membrane potential
      • Mechanically-gated ion channels: respond to mechanical stimuli

    Cystic Fibrosis (CF)

    • CF is a genetic disorder caused by mutations in the CFTR gene
    • CFTR encodes a chloride channel in plasma membranes
    • Defective CFTR channels disrupt ion transport, leading to thick mucus in the lungs and other organs, impacting function and leading to issues in health
    • Mutations in CFTR genes influence stability, folding, quantity and insertion of the protein into the membrane

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    Test your understanding of membrane transport concepts in cell biology. This quiz covers small molecules, passive diffusion, facilitated diffusion, and the roles of various transport proteins. Challenge yourself with questions about the mechanisms driving these essential processes.

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