1. Introduction.2. Parts of a Cell Membrane.
3. What's the function of each part.
4. What is Osmosis.
5. How Osmosis affects a Cell Membrane.
6. Pictures.
7. Credits.
7. Credits.
INTRODUCTION
Hello everyone! On this blog I'm going to explain you what a Cell Membrane is, what its made of, what it does, its importance in a cell, and many other things. First of all, cell membranes can be called in different ways, Plasma Membrane, Phospholipid Bilayer and Lipid Bilayer. Why is it called "Phospholipid Bilayer"? because, its mainly made up of lipids all around the cell membrane.
PARTS OF A CELL MEMBRANE
The parts of a Cell Membrane are the lipids, carbohydrates, cholesterol and three kinds of proteins, which are a Recognition Protein, a Receptor Protein and a Transport Protein.
WHAT'S THE FUNCTION OF EACH PART
The lipids, are made up of two parts, a "Head" and a "Tail", the head of the lipid, is hydrophilic, which means they like water, so they allow inside the cell membrane water, but on the other side the tail is hydrophobic, which means it does not like water, so only water enters the cell through Osmosis, other cell process which will be explained later on. Cholesterol makes the cell membrane stronger, flexible and less fluid. The function of the three proteins is very different: the recognition protein includes a carbohydrate chain which helps the protein recognize the objects which want to enter the cell. The receptor protein triggers celular responses when specific molecules in the extra cellular fluid bind to them, such as hormones and nutrients. the transport proteins' function is to regulate the movement of hydrophilic molecules through the plasma membrane.
WHAT IS OSMOSIS
Now, an important process that happenes in a cell is Osmosis. Osmosis is the diffusion of water across membranes, and it helps the cell to keep an isotonic solution across it. In Osmosis, water diffuses from regions of high water concentration to regions of low water concentration. Pure water has the highest water concentration. When you add a substance to it, some water molecules get displaced and the resulting solution will have a lower water content than pure water. But, the higher the concentration of dissolved substances, the lower the concentration of water.
Now, an important process that happenes in a cell is Osmosis. Osmosis is the diffusion of water across membranes, and it helps the cell to keep an isotonic solution across it. In Osmosis, water diffuses from regions of high water concentration to regions of low water concentration. Pure water has the highest water concentration. When you add a substance to it, some water molecules get displaced and the resulting solution will have a lower water content than pure water. But, the higher the concentration of dissolved substances, the lower the concentration of water.
HOW OSMOSIS AFFECTS A CELL MEMBRANE
Osmosis plays an important role in the life of cells. Most plasma membranes are highly permeable to water. Because all cells contain dissolved salts, proteins, sugars and so on, the flow of water across the plasma membrane depends on the concentration of water in the liquid that surrounds the cell. There are three kinds of solutions of the cell, isotonic, hypertonic and hypotonic.
Osmosis plays an important role in the life of cells. Most plasma membranes are highly permeable to water. Because all cells contain dissolved salts, proteins, sugars and so on, the flow of water across the plasma membrane depends on the concentration of water in the liquid that surrounds the cell. There are three kinds of solutions of the cell, isotonic, hypertonic and hypotonic.
- In an isotonic solution, the concentration of water inside the cellis the same as outside the cell, so there is no tendency for water to enter of leave the cell.
- In a hypertonic solution,there is a higher concentration of dissolved particles outside the cell, causing water to leave the cell.
- In a hypotonic solution, there is a lower concentration of dissolved particles outside the cell, causing water to enter the cell.
PICTURES
CREDITS
Info taken from my notebook notes and images from www.google.com, and you can click any image and it opens the internet page.
Special Thanks to the school "Gimnasio La Colina" and my teacher Paula Vargas. Its URL is the following http://www.lacolina.edu.co/
