BMSC 200 Lecture Notes - Lecture 4: Peripheral Membrane Protein, Membrane Transport Protein, Cell Membrane
Document Summary
Cell size and the significance of being small. Size range for prokaryotes: 0. 2 mircometers > 700 micrometers in diameter: most cultured rod- shaped bacteria are between 0. 5 and 4. 0 micrometer wide, examples of large prokaryotes. Size range for eukaryotic cells 10 > 200 micrometers. Advantages to being small: small cells have more surface area relative to cell volume than large cells, support greater nutrient exchange per unit cell volume, tend to grow faster than larger cells. Cytoplasmic membrane: thin structure that surrounds the cell, vital barrier that separates cytoplasm from environment, highly selective permeable barrier. General structure is phospholipid bilayer: contain both hydrophobic and hydrophilic components. Can exist in many different chemical forms as a result of variation in the groups attached to the glycerol backbone. Fatty acids point inward to form hydrophobic environment. What functions do membranes perform for the cell.
