Characteristics Of A Plasma Membrane

1.Discuss the structure of the plasma membrane and explain the process of active and passive transport through the membrane.

The purpose of these experiments is to examine the driving force behind the movement of substances across a selective or semiperpeable plasma membrane. Experiment simulations examine substances that move passively through a semipermeable membrane, and those that require active transport. Those that move passively through the membrane will do so in these simulations by facilitated diffusion and filtration. The plasma membrane’s structure is composed in such a way that it can discriminate as to which substances can pass into the cell. This enables nutrients to enter the cell, while keeping unwanted substances out. Active

Describe the conformation of the phospholipid bilayer of the plasma membrane. What abundant fluid leads to his conformation? Because the phospholipids heads are

The lipids found in the membrane are known as phospholipids. Phospholipids are fat derivatives in which one fatty acid has been replaced by a phosphate group and one of several nitrogen-containing molecules. The phospholipids’ structure is such that it appears to have a ‘head’ attached to a ‘tail’. The head section of the lipid is made of a glycerol group which is then attached to an ionised

List three criteria cells use to select materials to enter or leave the cell. Then explain the role of each criterion in determining the type of transport a cell will use for different sized molecules. For instance, small molecules move across the membrane by diffusion, given they are moving with the concentration gradient.

Cell membrane is the barrier that separates the inner environment of the cell from the outer environment. The membrane is selectively permeable.

is something that lets some things in and some things out of the cell. It is an outer cover for the cell. If the cell membrane was non existences the cell would spill all over the place. Its function is to protect the integrity of the interior of the cell by allowing certain substances into the cell, while keeping other substances out. It is composed of a thin, double-layered sheet of lipids, around the Cell and is a protective membrane layer around every Cell.

The cell membrane consists of eight distinctive parts that each have their own unique structure and function. The phospholipid bilayer is an integral part of the cell membrane because it is the external layer of the cell membrane and composes the barriers that isolate the internal cell components and organelles from the extracellular environment. It is composed of a series of phospholipids that have a hydrophobic region and a hydrophilic region. These regions are composed of the hydrophilic heads and the hydrophobic tails of the phospholipids, this organization of the polar heads and nonpolar tails allows the heads of the cell to form hydrogen bonds with water molecules while the tails are able to avoid water. The phospholipid bilayer also has many important functions within the cell, it gives the cell shape, provides protection, and it is selectively permeable which allows it to only let very specific molecules pass through its surface. The phospholipid bilayer is an important structure because it prevents harmful and unwanted molecules from entering the cell and isolates organelles which helps to maintain the internal environmental homeostasis of the cell.

Introduction: Cell membranes contain many different types of molecules which have different roles in the overall structure of the membrane. Phospholipids form a bilayer, which is the basic structure of the membrane. Their non-polar tails form a barrier to most water soluble substances. Membrane proteins serves as channels for transport of metabolites, some act as enzymes or carriers, while some are receptors. Lastly carbohydrate molecules of the membrane are relatively short-chain polysaccharides, which has multiple functions, for example, cell-cell recognition and acting as receptor sites for chemical signals.

The diffusion across a cell membrane is a process of passive and spontaneous net movement of small lipophilic molecules. The molecules move from a high concentration to a low concentrated region along the concentration gradient. The result being a point of equilibrium, this is where a random molecular motion continues but there is no longer any net movement. However, there are things that can affect the rate of diffusion, these being temperature, surface area, concentration, size of the molecule, permeability, diffusion distance and concentration difference. Osmosis is a type of diffusion as it is the movement of water molecules through a semipermeable membrane into a region of higher solute concentration. Equilibrium is reached when the solute concentration is equal on both sides. Water potential is measured in kiloPascals, it is the measuring of the concentration of free water molecules that are able to diffuse compared to pure water, which is 0 kilopascals. It is a measure of the tendency of free water molecules to diffuse from one place to another. The result being, the more free water molecules, the higher the Water Potential. However, Water potential is affected by two factors: pressure and the amount of solute.

However one beaker received 100 mL of Deionized water with a molarity of 0.0. Afterwards a cork borer was pushed through the potato and was twisted back and forth. Once the borer was filled it was removed from the potato. Pushing the potato cylinder out of the borer, this this step was repeated six more times in order to get seven undamaged potato cylinders. Using a sharp razor blade, the potato cylinders were both cut to a uniform length of about 5cm, and were removed of their potato skins. The potato pieces were also cut in half to give the cells a greater surface area in which it was easier to absorb the solution. After the cylinders were weighed on a balance and the data was recorded in Table 4. Using the razor blade each potato was cut lengthwise into two long halves. Then the potato pieces were transferred to the water beaker and the time they were submerged was recorded. This step was repeated for all potato cylinders in which the pieces were placed in solutions 0.1 to 0.6 M. The potatoes were incubated for ninety minutes. At the end of the incubation period the time was recorded. Then the potato piece was removed form the first sample. Next potato pieces were weighed the and the final weight was recorded in Table 4. This procedure was repeated until all samples had been weighed and recorded in the chronological order they were initially placed in the test solution. Afterwards the table was completed by recording the

Osmosis is a special type of diffusion. It is the diffusion of water across a semipermeable membrane which is a membrane that is freely permeable to water but is not freely permeable to solutes, the water moves from a dilute solution to a more concentrated solution (Karp, 2010). Both diffusion and osmosis are passive transport, energy is not used in the transport. In osmosis water moves across a membrane toward the solution of greater concentration, because the concentration of water is lower there (Martini and Bartholomew., 2007).

The purpose of this experiment was to determine the effects of tonicity on a cell membrane using red blood cells, potato strips and three unknown solutions (A, B, C). First three slides were prepared containing RBC’s and unknown solutions A, B and C. A control slide was prepared only using RBC’s. After observing each slide under the microscope it was determined that unknown solution A was hypertonic because the RBC appeared to have shrunk. The RBC in unknown solution B appeared to be swollen, therefor, the tonicity of unknown solution B was hypotonic. Unknown solution C showed no change to the RBC shape, it was suggested that unknown solution C was isotonic. To confirm the tonicity

To study the effects of hypotonic, hypertonic and isotonic solutions on plant and animal cells.

Osmosis is when water passes through a cell membrane, it is also form of a diffusion, which is a form of passive transport. Osmosis will continue to until an equilibrium is reached which is when the solutions are isotonic. This means that the solution has the same amount of solute on both sides. If the solution is hypertonic, it has more solute in the solution. In this situation water will move towards it. if the solution is hypotonic, it has less solute in the solution. Whereas in this situation, water will move out of the solution.