MATH 221 Lecture Notes - Lecture 4: Lipid Bilayer, Glycerophospholipid, Sphingolipid
Document Summary
The fluid mosaic model is an important aspect of the cell and more specifically the plasma membrane. The plasma membrane is crucial to the cell and consists of a phospholipid bilayer that contributes to the chemical nature of the cell. Additionally, the lipid bilayer is specific and molecules can move by processes such as diffusion, osmosis and active transport and furthermore move through channels which can be voltage gated, ligand gated or mechano gated. The unique organization of the lipid protein allows for water molecules to stay embedded in the membrane, preventing the movement of these molecules of water. The membrane also is self-assembled and does not need any additional energy to contribute to the structure and spacial arrangement of the cell. The molecules themselves are amphipathic which means that one side is a nonpolar tail (positively charged) and the other side is a polar head (negatively charged) and when put in water form clusters.
