4. WHAT IS CELL MEMBRANE ?
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✓ The cell membrane (also called the plasma membrane or plasmalemma) is a
biological membrane separating the interior of a cell from the outside
environment
✓ It appears in thin sections with the electron microscope as a triple-layered
structure about 7.5–10 nanometers thick
✓ Term coined by C. Nageli and C. Cramer in 1855, and Plasmalemma coined
by J. Q. Plowe in 1931
5. CELL MEMBRANE
❖ The cell membrane is flexible
and allows a unicellular
organism to move
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7. CHEM ICA L COMPOSITION
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1.Lipids -four major classes of lipids are commonly present in the
plasma membrane: phospholipids (most abundant), spingolipids,
glycolipids and sterols (e.g. cholesterol). All of them are amphipathic.
Cholesterol is abundant in mammalian cell and is absent in
prokaryotic cells
2.Proteins-plasma membrane contains about 50% protein. Amount
and type is variable. Myelin cells contains about 25% protein
internal membranes of chloroplast and mitochondria contains 50%
protein. Proteins of plasma membranes are of two types ectoproteins
and endoproteins. Plasma membranes contains structural proteins,
transport proteins and enzymes. Some of them acts as receptors.
8. C O N T …
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(enzymes present in the plasma membrane are Acetyl
phosphatase, acid phosphatase, ATPase, RNAase, maltase,
lactase, phospholipase etc)
3. Carbohydrates- they are present only in the plasma
membrane and are present exterior (glycoproteins) or polar
end of phospholipids at the external surface of plasma
membrane
9. PHOSP HO L IPIDS
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𝗈 Phospholipids (PL) molecule has a polar head and nonpolar tails
𝗈 The polar head is charged and hydrophilic (loves water) facing
outward, contains a – PO4 group & glycerol
𝗈 The nonpolar tails are hydrophobic (hates water) facing inward
contains 2 fatty acid chains that are nonpolar
𝗈 When PL placed in water form spherical bilayer
11. MEMBRANE CHOLESTEROL
𝗈 The amount of cholesterol
may vary with the type of
membrane
𝗈Plasma membranes have
nearly one cholesterol per
phospholipid molecule
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17. FUNCTIONS OF PLASMA
MEMBRANE
Keeps a cell intact
Protective barrier
Regulate transport in & out of cell (selectively
permeable)
Small lipid-soluble molecules, e.g. oxygen and carbon
dioxide can pass easily
Water can freely cross the membrane
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18. FUNCTIONS OF PLASMA MEMBRANE…
Ions and large molecules cannot cross without assistance
Allow cell recognition
Provide anchoring sites for filaments of cytoskeleton
Provide a binding site for enzymes
Interlocking surfaces bind cells together (junctions)
Contains the cytoplasm (fluid in cell)
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19. MEMBRANE STRUCTURE
𝗈 Membranes consist of a phospholipid bilayer
combined with a variety of proteins in a fluid
mosaic arrangement
𝗈 The surfaces of cell membranes are hydrophilic
(water-loving); the interiors are hydrophobic
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21. DANIELLI AND DAVSON MODEL
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𝗈 In 1935, Danielli and Davson studied triglyceride lipid
bilayers over a water surface
𝗈 They found that they arranged themselves with the
polar heads facing outward
𝗈 It always formed droplets (oil in water) and the surface
tension was much higher than that of cells
𝗈 Called as Sandwich model
23. ROBERTSON'S MODEL
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𝗈 In 1965, Robertson noted the structure of membranes
seen in the electron micrographs
𝗈 He saw no spaces for pores in the electron micrographs
𝗈 He hypothesized that the railroad track appearance
came from the binding of osmium tetroxide to proteins
and polar groups of lipids
𝗈 Proposed unit membrane hypothesis
25. FLUID MOSAIC MODEL
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𝗈 Widely accepted model
𝗈 According to S. J . Singer and Garth Nicolson 1972, the
biological membranes can be considered as a two-
dimensional liquid where all lipid and protein molecules
diffuse more or less freely
𝗈 Singer studied phospholipid bilayers and found that they
can form a flattened surface on water, with no
requirement for a protein coat
𝗈 It occurs in form of globular protein