Transport across Cell

Membrane
Dr Sara Mukhtar

Regents Biology 2006-2007

Learning objectives
 List the specialized functions of different
types of membrane proteins
 Summarize the different ways of cell
transport( active & passive transport,
phagocytosis, pinocytosis etc)
 Differentiate between endocytosis &
exocytosis
 Differentiate between active & passive
transport

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Cell membrane
 Also called plasma membrane
 Envelops the cell
 7.5-10 nm thick

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Lipids of cell membrane
 Membrane is made of special kind of lipid
 Phospholipids 25%
“attracted to water”
 Membrane is a double layer
 phospholipid bilayer phosphate

inside cell

lipid

“repelled by water”
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outside cell
Crossing the cell membrane
 What molecules can get through the cell
membrane directly?
 fats and oils can pass directly through
lipid
inside cell
waste salt

but…
sugar aa H 2O what about
outside cell
other stuff?
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TYPES OF TRANSPORT
 Two types of basic mechanisms are
involved in the transport of substances
across the cell membrane.

1.Passive transport mechanism

2.Active transport mechanism

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Simple Diffusion
 Move from HIGH to LOW
fat
fat fat Which way
inside cell will fat move?
fat fat fat
LOW

HIGH
fat
outside cell fat fat
fat

fat fat fat

fat
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 Embedded in the bilayer are
proteins 55%
 Most of the membrane’s functions
are accomplished by the embedded
proteins.
 Integral proteins span the membrane
 Peripheral proteins are on one side or the other
of the membrane

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Semi-permeable membrane
 Cell membrane controls what gets in or out
 Need to allow some materials — but not all
— to pass through the membrane
 semi-permeable
 only some material can get in or out

So what needs to get across the membrane?

sugar lipids aa O2 H 2O salt waste

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Cell membrane channels
protein channels or pores allow substances in
& out

inside cell H 2O aa sugar

salt
wasteBiology
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Diffusion
 Move from HIGH to LOW concentration
 passive transport
 no energy needed
diffusion of water

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Facilitated Diffusion
 Move from HIGH to LOW through a channel
sugar sugar
sugar
sugar
inside cell sugar sugar
LOW
Which way will
sugar move?
HIGH
outside cell
sugar sugar
sugar
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sugar sugar sugar
Simple vs. facilitated diffusion

simple diffusion facilitated diffusion

lipid
inside cell inside cell H2O

protein channel

H 2O
outside cell outside cell

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What is this

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Carrier mediated diffusion

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Transport summary
simple
diffusion

facilitated
diffusion

active ATP
transport
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Signal
Enzymes

Receptor
ATP

Transport Enzymatic activity Signal transduction

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Glyco-
protein

Cell-cell recognition Intercellular joining Attachment to the

cytoskeleton and extra-
cellular matrix (ECM)

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Active Transport vs Facilitated
Diffusion

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Types of Active Transport
1. Primary Active Transport
 The energy is directly liberated from the
breakdown of ATP.
 Sodium, potassium, calcium, hydrogen and
chloride are transported across the cell
membrane.

2. Secondary Active Transport

 The transport of a substance with sodium
ion by means of a common carrier protein.
 Co-transport
 Counter transport

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Primary Active Transport
 Sodium-Potassium Pump (Na+-K+
ATPase pump)
 Transports sodium from inside to
outside the cell and at the same time
pumps K+ from outside to inside the
cell.
 Maintain sodium and potassium

concentrations
 Establishing a negative electrical

voltage inside the cells

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Structure of Na+-K+ pump

 Complex of two separate globular proteins

1.  subunit, with a molecular weight of about 100,000.
2. β subunit, with a molecular weight of about 55,000.

Transport of Na+ & K+ occurs only by  subunit

1. It has three receptor sites for binding sodium ions on the
portion of the protein that protrudes to the inside of the cell.
2. It has two receptor sites for potassium ions on the outside.
3. The inside portion of this protein near the sodium binding sites
has ATPase activity

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Mechanism of action of the Na+-K+
Pump

1. The Na+-K+ Pump Is

Important For Controlling
Cell Volume

2. Electrogenic Nature of
the Na+-K+ Pump

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Primary Active Transport of Calcium
Ions
 Calcium is actively transported from
inside to outside the cell by calcium pump.

 Energy is obtained from ATP by the

catalytic activity of ATPase.

 Present in the sarcoplasmic reticulum of

muscle cells and the mitochondria of all
the cells.

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Primary Active Transport of Hydrogen Ions
 At two places in the body, primary active
transport of hydrogen ions is important:

1.In the gastric glands of the stomach

 Involved in the formation of hydrochloric acid
2.In the late distal tubules and cortical
collecting ducts of the kidneys
 Hydrogen ions are secreted from the blood
into the urine

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Secondary Active Transport

 Couple the movement

of 2 molecules in
several ways:
1. Symport – move both in
the same direction
2. Antiport – move in
opposite direction

 Carrier proteins that

only carry one
molecule is called
uniport

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Co-Transport of Glucose and Amino Acids along
with Sodium Ions

 Concentration of sodium ions is

high on the outside and low inside,
which provides energy for the
transport.

 Five amino acid transport proteins

have been identified, each of which
is responsible for transporting one
subset of amino acids

 Through the epithelial cells of the

intestinal tract and the renal tubules
of the kidneys

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Sodium Counter-Transport of Calcium
and Hydrogen Ions

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Exocytosis
The opposite of endocytosis is exocytosis. Large molecules
that are manufactured in the cell are released through the cell
membrane.

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Endocytosis is the case when a molecule causes the cell

membrane to bulge inward, forming a vesicle.

Phagocytosis is the type of endocytosis where an entire cell is

engulfed. Cell eating

Pinocytosis is when the external fluid is engulfed. Cell

drinking

Receptor-mediated endocytosis occurs when the material to

be transported binds to certain specific molecules in the
membrane. Examples include the transport of insulin and
cholesterol into animal cells.

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Cotransport also uses the process of diffusion. In this case a

molecule that is moving naturally into the cell through
diffusion is used to drag another molecule into the cell. In this

example glucose hitches a ride with sodium.

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Receptor Proteins
These proteins are used in intercellular communication. In this
animation you can see the a hormone binding to the receptor. This
causes the receptor protein release a signal t0 perform some action.

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Cotransport also uses the process of diffusion. In this case a

molecule that is moving naturally into the cell through
diffusion is used to drag another molecule into the cell. In this

example glucose hitches a ride with sodium.

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These are carrier proteins. They do not extend through the

membrane. They bond and drag molecules through the bilipid
layer and release them on the opposite side.

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Vesicle-mediated transport
Vesicles and vacuoles that fuse with the cell membrane may
be utilized to release or transport chemicals out of the cell or
to allow them to enter a cell. Exocytosis is the term applied
when transport is out of the cell.

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Cell Membrane - Function - Endocytosis

The cell membrane can also engulf structures that are much too large to fit
through the pores in the membrane proteins this process is known as
endocytosis. In this process the membrane itself wraps around the particle
and pinches off a vesicle inside the cell. In this animation an ameba engulfs a

food particle.

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