BIOL 331 Lecture 3: Lecture 3 Summary Made the lecture notes more readable.
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Chapter 10 the lipid bilayer and membrane proteins. Protein-protein interactions are key to understanding how cells work. Co-localization of suspected protein partners using immunofluorescence microscopy in fixed cells is possible and popular. Bu the resolution of the fluorescence microscope is much less than the size of a typical protein, co-localization is often a questionable result. Fret allows direct observation of molecular interactions (2-5 nm) in living cells. The plasma membrane is crucial to cellular life. The cell membrane separates the cell from its environment and creates intracellular compartments (in eukaryotes) Ion gradients across the membrane are used to make atp, to allow electrical signals in nerve and muscle cells and to drive transmembrane movement of solutes. All biological membranes have a common structure: a thin layer of lipid molecules with proteins held together by non-covalent interactions. Lipids found as a bilayer are about 5 nm thick. The lipid bilayer is impermeable to most water soluble molecules.
