BIO 202 Lecture Notes - Lecture 8: Fluorescence Microscope, Golgi Apparatus, Photobleaching
13 Feb 2017
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Document Summary
Very thin film of lipids and proteins. Are amphipathic; have both hydrophobic and hydrophilic regions. Hydrophobic tails in the middle and hydrophilic heads on the outside, facing the aqueous environment. Gorter and grendel are credited with the finding out the plasma membrane. Singer and nicolson proposed that the plasma membrane is a fluid mosaic of proteins dispersed and individually inserted into the phospholipid bilayer. There are different types of proteins on and in the membrane: integral proteins: are partially inserted into the membrane. Actually part of the membrane : peripheral proteins: are attached to the membrane surface, but not inserted. In other words, the membrane lipids drift laterally. Very rarely are there flip flops between the phospholipid. Cannot be too loose or too stiff. If there are too much saturated lipids, then the membrane may become too viscous. If there are too many unsaturated lipids, then the membrane may become too fluid. Need a balance between saturated and unsaturated lipids.
