Name: ______Block: ___

Membrane Structure Tutorial

http://www.bio.davidson.edu/people/macampbell/111/memb-swf/membranes.swf

Read the on-screen directions carefully. Be thorough. Read the text for all it’s information, not just the information that applies to the questions. Ask why.

(1) Introduction | Membrane Composition

Q1: What happens when you click on the picture? What does the animation show you? NOTE: Legend on diagram is incorrect! = phospholipid

Q2: What is the extra info topic on this screen? (click & read it!)

Q3: Based on what you have read, do you think benzene is hydrophobic or hydrophilic? Why?

(2) Introduction | Location of Membranes

Q4: List five examples of membrane-bound structures/organelles within the cell:

(3) Introduction | Membrane Function

Q5: List the five membrane functions (& specific examples where appropriate)

(4) Membrane Lipids | Amphipathicity

Q6: What are the three types of lipids found in cell membranes?

Q7: Which lipid type(s) is/are least abundant in cell membranes?

(5) Membrane Lipids | Lipid Structure 1

Q8: What are the components that make up a phosphoglyceride?

Q9: Which of these components are found in the polar “head” of the molecule?

(6) Membrane Lipids | Lipid Structure 2

List one interesting/new thing you learned from this part:

(7) Membrane Lipids | Membrane Fluidity

(note: there are 4 parts to this screen; be sure to click through to get to all of them)

Q10: Click on the first picture. Read the extra info #1. What is the point made here?

Q11: Complete the following: “The hydrophobic effect can be thought of as the law of maximization of ______in water.”

Q12: What is the answer to extra info #2 question? ______

Keep going until part 4… be sure to look at the Hydrophobic Effect animation (no questions on this, just make sure you get it).

(8) Membrane Lipids | Membrane Fluidity

Q13: What type of lipid movement is very rare (doesn’t occur frequently)?

Q14: What type of lipid movement is most common?

(9) Membrane Lipids | Membrane Fluidity

Q15: What happens to membrane fluidity as….

a) temperature increases

b) lipid tail length increases

c) degree of unsaturation increases

d) amount of cholesterol increases (at moderate to high temps)

e) amount of cholesterol increases (at low temps)

(10) Membrane Lipids | Membrane Asymmetry

Q16: Glycolipids are found on which side of the plasma membrane?

(11) Membrane Proteins | Integral and Peripheral

Q17: What is the difference in location between integral and peripheral proteins?

Q18: In an integral membrane protein, the transmembrane part of the the protein is ______(hydrophilic / hydrophobic) while the parts of the protein exposed to water in the cytoplasm or the extracellular environment are largely ______(hydrophilic / hydrophobic).

(12) Summary

Q19: What is an exception to the rule given above for the transmembrane part of integral proteins? (from pop quiz info)

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