1.
1 - Molecules
Isotopes
Isotope: SAME element but different # of neutrons
Radioisotope: unstable isotope that decays over time by emitting radiation
➢ As a result they may convert from one element to another
Half-life: half the time it takes for a radioactive sample to reach its initial amount
➢ Eg. iodine-131 (20g) has a half life of 8 days. What mass remains after 24 days?
○ = 2.5g
Radioisotope tracing: radioactive material is injected into patient and it’s movements are
traced using a PET scan
➢ Eg. injecting a radioactive glucose can be used to find a tumor bc cancerous cells will
break the glucose down faster than regular cells
Radiometric Dating: dating rocks and fossils by seeing how much of a naturally occurring
isotope is abundant in the object (how much the isotope has decayed)
Molecule: a compound of at least 2 non-metal atoms
➢ 2 building blocks of biological molecules:
○ Hydrogen
○ Carbon
➢ Nitrogen, oxygen, phosphorous, and sulfur work with the H and C to give biological
molecules their specific chemical properties
intramolecular forces
➢ Ionic bonds
○ occur b/w a cation (metal) and anion (non-metal)
○ Their charges allow them to form STRONG bonds w other atoms
○ Their charges allow ions to be polar
➢ Covalent bonds
○ Occur b/w 2 non-metal atoms
○ Valence electrons are shared
○ Level of attraction b/w 2 atoms depends on their electronegativity
■ If the 2 atoms have similar electronegativities, their electrons are
dispersed/shared equally so they have no overall charge (non-polar)
■ If the 2 atoms have very different electronegativities, their electrons are
shared unequally so the molecule forms dipoles (polar)
■ A higher electronegativity = higher attraction so electrons gravitate
towards it, giving that atom the more negative charge
■ High electronegativity = O, N, Cl
■ Low electronegativity = H, C, P
Intermolecular forces
➢ 2 types:
○ Hydrogen Bonding
○ Hydrophobic Interactions
Hydrogen Bonding
➢ The slightly + hydrogen atom of one molecule attracts another slightly - atom of a
different molecule
➢ Weaker than ionic and covalent bonds but together can be very strong
➢ Represented by a dotted line bc it is a very weak type of covalent bond
➢ Help maintain proper structure and function in molecules
○ Capillary action and surface tension of water
■ Cohesion: H-bonds b/w water molecules
■ Adhesion: H-bonds b/w water and other molecules
○ Secondary, tertiary, and quaternary structures of proteins, and nucleic acids
Hydrophobic Interaction/Effect
➢ Nonpolar molecules cannot form bonds with hydrogen in H2O so instead they clump
together in the presence of water
○ Considered hydrophobic ( “water-fearing”)
○ Polar molecules are hydrophilic (“water-loving”)
Hydrocarbons
➢ Organic molecules made of only C and H
➢ Non polar (C-C is also non-polar, but CO and HO are polar)
➢ Low boiling point
➢ Flammable (used in combustion reactions)
➢ Their covalent bonds are energy-rich and release that energy when the bonds
are broken (eg. combustion)
Functional Groups
Functional group: a group of atoms that always behaves in a certain way, thus
determining the chemical and
physical properties of the organic
molecule its attached to
➢ Functional groups form the
reactive part of molecules
Hydroxyl Group -OH
➢ Low reactivity
➢ Usually involved in hydrogen
bonding
➢ Increases molecule’s solubility in
water
Carbonyl Group -C=O
➢ Increases molecule’s solubility in
water
➢ Aldehyde: C=O group is at the end of the molecule w an H bonded to the C
➢ Ketone: C=O group is located w/in the molecule
○ When C is located within a molecule it is usually replaced by a bend in the
structural formula
Carboxyl Group -COOH
➢ Contains both carbonyl and hydroxyl group
➢ Weak acid
➢ Can ionize by releasing the H atom as a free proton, thus becoming relatively stable
○ The negative charge flip-flops between the two O’s
Amino Group -NH2
➢ Basic
➢ Solubility decreases as the # of C’s in organic molecule increases
➢ Can ionize by accepting H ion
Sulfhydryl Group -SH
➢ Slightly polar
➢ Strong odour
➢ Lower boiling point and solubility than alcohol
➢ 2 sulfhydryl groups can bond to form a disulfide group
Phosphate Group -PO4
➢ Involved with biological energy storage and release when phosphate bonds are broken
(phosphate bonds are energy rich)
➢ Found in ATP (adenine triphosphate), DNA & RNA (links nucleotides together)
Isomers
Isomer: same molecular formula but different structural formula
➢ Results in different properties unless they have the same functional groups
➢ Cells know which isomers they can recognize and need to synthesize
➢ 2 types:
○ Structural Isomers
■ Positional
■ Chain
■ Functional
○ Stereoisomers
■ Geometric
■ Enantiomers
Structural Isomers
➢ Chain - C backbone is in a different order
➢ Positional - carbon backbone stays the same but but functional groups are moved
around/connected in different areas
➢ Functional - different functional groups are present
Stereoisomers
Geometric: same functional groups but arrangement of atoms on each side of the double C
bond is different
➢ Cis: when like groups are on the same sid/symmetrical about the double C bond
➢ Trans: when like groups are on opposite sides of the double C bond
Enantiomers: same molecular and structural formula but they cannot be
overlapped/superimposed (think about right and left hands overlapping)
➢ Usually due to an asymmetrical carbon
1.2 - Macromolecules
Macromolecules: large, complex molecules made up repeating smaller molecules linked
together - in other words, polymers made up of repeating monomer units
➢ 4 types of macromolecules:
○ Carbohydrates
○ Proteins
○ Nucleic Acids
○ Lipids (the only one that isn’t a polymer)
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrate: macromolecule that always contains CHO usually in 1:2:1 ratio
➢ Molecular formula is technically CmH2nOn
➢ How to identify - look for ringed structures that have CHO (monosaccharides if there are
3-7 carbon atoms)
➢ Usually polar bc of hydroxyl and carbonyl groups
➢ Functions:
○ Short and Long term energy storage
○ Provide materials to build cell membrane
➢ 3 types:
○ Monosaccharides/Simple Sugars
○ Disaccharides
○ Polysaccharides
➢ 2 types of glycosidic linkages
○ Alpha - H on carbon 1 is on top, hydroxyl is on bottom (starch and glycogen)
○ Beta - H on carbon 1 is on bottom, hydroxyl is on top (cellulose)
Monosaccharides/Simple Sugars
Monosaccharide: monomer that contains 3-7 carbon atoms
➢ Mono = one, saccharide = sugar
➢ Examples:
○ glucose (found in blood)
○ Fructose (found in fruit)
○ Galactose (found in milk)
➢ All these examples have the formula C6 H1 2O6 but are isomers of each other and
therefore have different properties (glucose and galactose are stereoisomers)
➢ Always have carbonyl group
Disaccharides
Disaccharide: 2 monosaccharides that join together through a covalent bond called a
glycosidic linkage during a condensation reaction
➢ Glycosidic linkages form b/w specific hydroxyl groups
➢ Examples:
○ Sucrose (table sugar): glucose + fructose (broken down by enzyme sucrase)
○ Lactose (found in milk): glucose + galactose (broken down by enzyme lactase)
○ Maltose (formed when starch digests): glucose + glucose
➢ Enzymes use hydrolysis to help break these macromolecules down into their
monosaccharides
Oligosaccharide
Oligosaccharide: short chain of monosaccharides
➢ 3-10 sugar molecules
➢ Eg. disaccharides
➢ Help with production of glycoprotein and glycolipids in cell membranes
○ Functions - cell identification & attaching the cell to the extracellular matrix
Polysaccharides
➢ Polymers that are made up of monosaccharides joined by glycosidic linkages
➢ Eg. starch, glycogen, cellulose
Starch
➢ Form/way of storing of glucose/energy in plants (grains can be seen in chloroplasts)
➢ Short term energy storage bc it can easily be broken down into glucose
➢ Mixture of 2 types of polysaccharides
○ Amylose - unbranched alpha glucose polymer held together by
1-4 glycosidic linkages
○ Amylopectin - branched alpha glucose polymer held by 1-4
glycosidic linkages and branches off at 1-6 glycosidic linkages
Glycogen
➢ Form of storing glucose in animals (found in liver of humans)
➢ Granules Can be seen in cytoplasm
➢ Short term energy storage bc it can easily be broken down into glucose
➢ Has multiple branches so it can be broken down very fast for energy
➢ Similar structure to amylopectin (1-4 glycosidic linkages b/w alpha glucose monomers in
the main chain and 1-6 linkages at the branch points)
○ Glycogen is more highly branched than amylopectin
Cellulose
➢ Provides structural support in plant cell walls
➢ found in fruits, veggies, and grains
➢ cellulose fibres (called roughage) are made of many intertwined, tight bundles called
microfibrils - each microfibril is made of cellulose molecules held together by H-bonds
at beta 1-4 linkages
➢ Indigestible bc we lack the enzyme that can break down the structure of cellulose -beta
1-4 glycosidic linkages
○ Pass through system undigested
○ Scrape large intestine walls which stimulates mucus secretion, lubrication feces
and helps in elimination of solid waste
Chitin: modified polysaccharide of glucose molecules with nitrogen
➢ After cellulose, chitin is the second most abundant carbohydrate
➢ Found in fungi cell walls and main component of arthropod exoskeletons
Lipids
➢ Composed of CHO, but there are a lot less oxygens than CH’s
➢ Non polar/hydrophobic
➢ Compared t o carbohydrates, lipids:
○ Store more energy
■ Yield more than double energy/gram
○ Since energy is stored in hydrocarbons, their energy is less accessible to cells
than that of carbs
■ This therefore provides longer-term energy and are broken down after
carbs are used up
➢ Other functions:
○ Insulate against heat lost (recall that lipids are fats)
○ Protective cushion around organs
○ Major component of cell membranes
○ Water-repelling coatings for fur, feathers, and leaves
○ Steroid hormones (estrogen, progesterone, testosterone)
○ Electrical insulation of nerves
➢ 4 types:
○ Triglycerides
○ Fatty acids
○ Steroids
○ waxes
Triglycerides
➢ Glycerol molecule + 3 fatty acid chains
➢ Join together through dehydration synthesis
➢ Hydroxyl on glycerol and carboxyl on fatty acid bond through an e ster linkage
○ Forms 3 H2O’s bc there are 3 tails
Fatty acid: a hydrocarbon chain that ends with an acidic carboxyl group
➢ Can either be saturated or unsaturated
Properties Saturated Unsaturated
Double bonds? no Monounsaturated: one
double bond
Polyunsaturated: 2+
double bonds
Straight or Bent tails? straight Bent bc of double bond
State @ room temp Solid bc they are easily Liquid bc kinks push tails
stackable apart
Examples Lard, butter oil
Hydrogenation
➢ bubbling hydrogen through bent tails (unsaturated) to make them saturated and straight
➢ Unsaturated fatty acids are normally cis but get converted to a trans configuration,
making them structurally similar to a saturated fatty acid
➢ Companies use them bc they are cheap and last long but
are harmful to your health
Phospholipids
➢ R group + phosphate group + glycerol + 2 fatty acids
➢ Main component of cell membrane
➢ Phospholipid head = polar, fatty acid tail = non-polar
Phospholipid bilayer
➢ In aqueous, extracellular environments phospholipids
naturally form a bilayer
➢ phospholipids arrange themselves so the polar head faces the outward environment
and the tails form hydrophobic interiors
➢ Cholesterol molecules help maintain fluidity
○ Grab onto fatty acid tails and hold them together
when they get too warm and pull them apart
when they get too cold
Steroids
Steroid: lipid composed of 4 carbon based rings
➢ Different steroids have different arrangements and functions
➢ General functions:
○ Reduces inflammation
○ Anabolic steroids mimic male sex hormones - used for cancer and aids
treatment, and to build muscle mass
➢ Examples:
○ Cholesterol
■ Found in cell membrane & blood of animals
■ Precursor to other steroids
○ Testosterone
■ Regulates sexual function
■ Helps build bone and muscle mass
○ Estrogen
■ Regulates FEMALE sexual function
■ Increases fat storage
Waxes
waxes: lipids made of long carbon-based chains that are solid at room temp
➢ Produced in both animals and plants
➢ Functions:
○ Coats leaf surfaces
■ Prevents water and solutes from escaping
○ Repels insects
○ Coats skin, fur, leather, exoskeleton to keep surface dry
○ Forms barrier from infection
Proteins
Protein: polypeptides (polymer) made of repeating amino acid units (monomers) linked by
peptide bonds (covalent)
➢ Peptide bond forms b/w carboxyl and amino group
➢ Function depends on structure/shape
➢ Classified into groups based on function:
○ Catalyzing chemical reactions (eg. enzymes)
○ Structural support
○ Transport
○ Enabling organisms to move
○ Regulating cellular process
○ Providing defense against disease (eg. antibodies)
Amino Acids
➢ Central carbon bonded to:
○ Hydrogen (H)
○ Amino group (NH4) (basic)
○ Carboxyl group (COOH) (acidic)
○ R group
➢ N-C-C Backbone
➢ Somewhat polar bc of carboxyl and amino group
➢ Synthesized in ribosomes
➢ 20 amino acids exist, 8 are essential (must be obtained through diet)
○ Combinations of the 20 amino acids are infinite
Levels of protein organization
➢ 4 levels
○ Primary structure
■ Linear order of amino acids bonded together through peptide bonds
■ Only one that does not involve protein folding/3d shape
○ Secondary structure
■ 2 shapes
● Alpha helix - coil
● Beta-pleated sheet - folded
■ Occur due to H-bonds b/w polar groups
○ Tertiary structure
■ Responsible for folding of proteins, affected by:
● How different r-groups interact
● Mostly affected by hydrophobic effect
● Also affected by H-bonding
● ionic/electrostatic bonding b/w different r-groups
○ Quaternary structure
■ How multiple polypeptides fold together to form
a protein
■ Also affected by H-bonds
Protein Denaturation
➢ Occurs when r-group bonds are disturbed (intermolecular
forces break), so the protein starts to unfold
➢ Affects 2, 3, and 4, structures
➢ Can cause protein to lose function and can be irreversible
➢ Caused by:
○ Extreme temps
○ Exposure to chemicals
○ extreme pH
○ Agitation
Nucleic Acids
Nucleic acid: macromolecule composed of repeating nucleotides
(monomer)
➢ 2 types of nucleic acids:
○ DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid)
■ More stable than RNA
○ RNA (ribonucleic acid)
DNA RNA
function - Contains genetic info - Converting the info
that codes for the stored stored in DNA to
synthesis of particular synthesize proteins in
amino acid sequences the ribosomes
- only found in nucleus - found in various parts
of the cell
Type of pentose sugar deoxyribose ribose
Nitrogenous bases Adenine & thymine, Thymine is replaced with
guanine & cytosine uracil
How many strands? 2 1
➢ Nucleotide is made up of 3 components (covalently bonded)
○ Phosphate group
○ Pentose Sugar w/ 5 carbon atoms
○ Nitrogenous base
➢ A polymer of nucleotides is called a strand or p
olynucleotide
➢ Nucleic acid strands have a backbone of alternating phosphates and sugars
○ Phosphate group on one nucleotide form a phosphodiester bond
○ With the hydroxyl group on the other nucleotide’s sugar
➢ Nitrogenous bases in DNA are held together by H-bonds
➢ Purines: A & G (2 rings, bigger)
➢ Pyrimidines: C, T, U (single ringed, smaller)
Testing for macromolecules
➢ monosaccharides/glucose - Benedict's solution w/ heat turns from blue to yellow-orange
➢ Starch - iodine turns from red-brown to blueish-black
➢ Triglycerides/Lipids - leave a translucent spot on brown paper
➢ Proteins - Biuret reagent turns from blue to purple
Molecular Model Legend
Hydrogen - white
Oxygen - red
Carbon - black
Nitrogen - blue
1.3 - Biochemical Reactions & Enzymes
Acid: a substance that releases H ions when dissolved in water, increasing [H] in water
Base: a substance that releases an [OH]/ accepts an [H] when dissolved in water, increasing
[OH] in water
pH
➢ pH is a measure of hydrogen ion concentration
○ >7 = acidic
○ <7 = basic
➢ Optimal pH of human blood is 7.35 - 7.45
➢ pH below 7 or above 7.8 can be fatal
➢ Alkalosis: increase of blood pH to 7.5 - 7.8 due to:
○ anxiety, hyperventilation, or over consumption of antacids
○ causes dizziness and agitation
➢ Acidosis: blood pH falls to range of 7.1 - 7.3 due to:
○ hypoventilation, severe vomiting, brain damage, kidney disease
○ causes disorientation and fatigue
Acid-Base Buffer System
Buffers: substances that minimize/resist pH changes by donating or accepting H ions as
needed
➢ When a fluid is too basic a weak acid will release its H ions and is now called a
conjugate base
➢ When a fluid is too acidic, the CB will take the H ions back up to become the weak acid
again
Bicarbonate Ion Buffer System
➢ Buffer system in humans
➢ Blood is too basic
○ water and carbon dioxide react to form carbonic acid (H2CO3)
○ Carbonic acid breaks down/dissociates into a bicarbonate ion (HCO3-)+ H
○ [H] increases, therefore increasing acidity
➢ Blood is too acidic
○ HCO3- w
ill take the H back up to create carbonic acid which becomes water and
carbon dioxide
○ CO2 is breathed out
➢ For instance, hyperventilating people are told to breath in/out of a bag so [CO2] in the
bag increases, allowing more of it to be breathed in and being able to get turned into
bicarbonate ion
➢ 4 main types of reactions
○ Neutralization
○ oxidation-reduction/redox
○ Dehydration synthesis/condensation
○ Hydrolysis
Neutralization
➢ When an acid and a base react they automatically undergo neutralization
○ the acid loses its acidic properties and the base loses its basic
○ Properties (i.e. properties get ca
○ ncelled out/neutralized)
➢ Acid + Base -> salt (no charge) + water
➢ Eg. HCl + NaOH -> NaCl + H2 O
Oxidation-Reduction Reactions
➢ Processes where electrons are lost (oxidation) or
gained (reduction)
○ Redox happens bc the electrons want to move
from where they are weakly held to where they
are more strongly held
○ Oxidation and reduction happen simultaneously
➢ Reducing agent: compound that undergoes oxidation/loses electrons
➢ Oxidizing agent: compound that undergoes reduction/gains electrons
➢ Abbreviation - OIL RIG (oxidation is loss, reduction is gain)
➢ Eg. combustion reactions and cellular respiration
Condensation/Dehydration Synthesis
➢ Joining two molecules (eg. monomers) together to form a bigger molecule (eg. polymers)
through a covalent bond
➢ H atom on one functional group reacts with an OH on another functional group to form
H2O as a byproduct
Hydrolysis
➢ Opposite of condensation
➢ Adding H2O to break the two molecules apart
➢ H and OH attach back to their respective molecules
➢ Eg. breaking down macromolecules during digestion
*Look at table 1.27 in textbook (pg.35)
Enzymes
Activation energy (EA): the amount of energy that it would regularly take to complete a reaction
➢ Factors that speed up reactions
○ Increasing temp
○ Increasing SA
○ Increasing agitation
○ catalyst
➢ The higher the activation energy, the longer the reaction will take
➢ Catalysts lower the EA of a reaction
Catalyst: a protein that speeds up a chemical reaction without being consumed in the reaction
➢ In biological systems, these catalysts are called e nzymes
○ Enzymes have a highly specific shape/size
○ Made of folded amino acid chains
○ Name: substrate + -ase
Enzyme-Substrate Complex
Substrate: the reactant in the reaction that the enzyme reacts with
Active site: pocket/indentation in enzyme where the substrate will bind to/where the
catalyzation takes place
Induced fit: once the substrate fits into the active site, the enzyme can
slightly adjust their shape to accommodate the substrate
➢ Use intermolecular bonds and H-bonds (R-group of the enzyme w/
substrate) to achieve this
➢ Combined shape is called an enzyme-substrate complex
➢ Synthesis: when 2 substrates are combined in one enzyme to
produce a combined product
➢ degradation/decomposition: the substrate is broken down into 2 products after it
comes out of the enzyme
How enzymes work to lower EA
➢ R groups in active sited bend/stretch the substrate’s bonds therefore weakening
the bond
○ Weak substrate bonds allow for it to react with other compounds more
easily
➢ Positioning 2 substrates in a certain way that allows them to react more easily
with other compounds
➢ Transferring electrons to/from the substrate (redox reaction) to make the
substrate unstable
○ Unstable substrates are more likely to undergo reactions
➢ Acting as an acid or base to add/remove H ions from the substrate to make it
more unstable, therefore more likely to react
➢ Once the reaction is complete and the substrate is released, the enzyme is ready to
accept another substrate and begin the process again
○ Called the catalytic cycle
Enzyme Helpers
➢ Some enzymes cannot catalyze a reaction unless one of the following is present:
○ Coenzyme
■ Organic molecules that assists the enzyme
○ cofactor
■ Metal ions (such as Fe or Zn) that assists the enzyme
■ The enzyme is inactive until the cofactor (activator) gets binded to it
● Sometimes the substrate cannot even fit unless the substrate is
connected to it
➢ Vitamins and minerals are vital bc one of their functions is helping in catalyzations
Factors that affect enzyme activity
➢ Temp
○ Denaturing occurs at extreme temps
○ low temp - enzyme bonds are not flexible enough to fit substrate i.e. poor
induced fit
○ High temp - shape starts to change bc enzyme bonds are too weak
➢ pH
○ If enzymes are not functioning at their optimal temps, then they start to
denature therefore losing their function
○ Different organs in the body have different pH’s, determining what pH
the enzyme works best at
➢ Substrate concentration
○ Increase in substrate concentration = more likely that enzymes and
substrates will encounter each other = increase in enzymatic activity/faster
○ However it will eventually plateau because there is a limited amount of
enzymes
Enzyme regulation
Inhibitors: molecule that hinders/reduces an enzyme’s ability to catalyze a reaction
➢ Prevent overproduction of products
Allosteric site: a site on the enzyme that isn’t the active site
➢ 2 types:
○ Competitive inhibitors
■ Competes against the substrate by binding to the active site so the
substrate cannot bind to it and therefore the reaction does not occur
○ Non-competitive inhibitors
■ Bind to the allosteric site which changes the enzyme’s shape so that it is
harder for the substrate and enzyme to interact
Activators: molecules that bind to the allosteric site in such a way that it increases enzymatic
activity
➢ Activators and non-competitive inhibitors are called a llosteric regulation
Feedback Inhibition
Biochemical pathways: pathway of enzymes where the product of one reaction is the
substrate of the next enzyme-catalyzed reaction
➢ The method of regulation for biochemical pathways is called feedback inhibition
➢ The last substrate in the pathway has an end-product that acts as a non-competitive
inhibitor for the first enzyme in the pathway
○ When it attaches to the allosteric site the active site is now changed so the
original substrate can no longer fit in it
2.1 - Cells
➢ Prokaryotes
○ DNA is circular
○ No nucleus, mitochondria, or any membrane-bound organelles
○ Eg. bacteria
➢ Eukaryotes
○ DNA is linear, bounded in membrane
○ Has mitochondria, nucleus, and membrane-bound organelles
○ Unicellular or multicellular
○ Organelles are specialized
➢ 3 features all eukaryotic cells have in common
○ membrane-bound nucleus with DNA
○ phospholipid bilayer (double layer) as cell membrane
○ Filled with cytoplasm
Nucleus
➢ Nucleoplasm - thick fluid that fills the nucleus
➢ Nuclear matrix
○ structure/support
➢ Nucleolus
○ Contains RNA, protein, & chromatin
➢ Nuclear envelope
○ Double membrane consisting 2 phospholipid bilayers
■ Space b/w 2 bilayers is called the lumen
○ Surrounds nucleus
○ Covered in nuclear pore complex
■ Proteins that form/control openings in the nuclear envelope
■ Small ions can pass through freely but large macromolecule transport is
controlled
➢ Contains DNA
○ Stores genetic info of the cell
○ DNA combines with protein to form chromosomes (unfolded state is called
chromatin)
Endomembrane System
➢ Composed of endoplasmic reticulum, golgi apparatus, vesicles, and cell membrane
➢ All work together to process and transport proteins
Ribosomes
➢ Composed of RNA and proteins
➢ Ribosomes found in cytosol (free ribosomes) synthesize polypeptides
Endoplasmic Reticulum
➢ Membrane-bound tubules & sacs
➢ Connected to nuclear envelope
➢ 2 types:
○ Rough ER
■ Covered in ribosomes
● Synthesize proteins (eg. polypeptides)
○ Smooth ER
■ No ribosomes
■ synthesizes lipids (eg. phospholipids in membranes)
■ Can also perform other functions depending on cell
1. Ribosomes on Rough ER surface produce proteins and then push them to Smooth ER
(through lumen) where they are stored and processed
2. Smooth ER forms vesicles around lipids and proteins to get sent to cis face of golgi
apparatus
Golgi Apparatus
➢ Stack of curved membrane sacs
➢ Cis face - longer tubed side
➢ Trans face - more circular tubed side
➢ “Post-office” of the cell
○ Packages, sorts, and distributes substances to be sent around the cell
➢ Produces lysosomes and carbohydrates
3. Vesicles release proteins and lipids into golgi apparatus where they are modified and stored,
then packaged into vesicles to be sent to their destination via the trans face
Other Parts of the Endomembrane System
Lysosome
➢ A type of vesicle that contains enzymes to catalyze hydrolysis reactions
➢ Break down foreign particles and worn out parts of the cell
Secretory Vesicle
➢ Fuses with plasma membrane as secretion occurs
Incoming Vesicle
➢ Brings substances into the cell to the lysosomes to get digested
Transport Vesicle
➢ Transports molecules/substances to organelles
* all vesicles are formed by pinching off from membranes
Peroxisomes
➢ Membrane-bound sac that contains enzyme catalase and enzymes called o xidases
○ These enzymes catalyze redox reaction
➢ Break down toxins, hydrogen peroxide, and excess fatty acids
➢ Help synthesize bile acids and cholesterol
Vacuoles
➢ A type of vesicle
➢ Animal cells that many vesicles but plant cells only have one large central vesicle called
a vacuole
➢ stores water, ions, sugars, amino acids, and macromolecules
➢ Contains enzymes
➢ Determines turgor pressure
Chloroplasts
➢ Only in plant cells
➢ Inner m embrane is surrounded by a thick liquid called s
troma
➢ Filled w ith grana (a stack of thylakoids)
○ Thylakoids are flattened disks that contain chlorophyll
■ Absorbs energy for photosynthesis
Mitochondria
➢ Converts stored energy from photosynthesis into useable energy through a redox
reaction
➢ Smooth outer membrane
➢ folded inner membrane
○ Folds are called cristae
○ Inner membrane is filled with fluid called matrix
Cell Wall
➢ Not in animal cells
➢ Rigid layer surrounding plant, bacteria, algae, and some archaea
cells
➢ Composed of carbohydrates and/or proteins (eg. cellulose)
➢ Gives cell structural support and it’s shape
Cytoskeleton
➢ Network of fibres made of protein that extend all over the cytoplasm
➢ Provide structure and support to organelles and act as tracks that lead from one part of
the cell to another (motility)
➢ 3 types of protein fibres:
○ Microtubles
■ Thickest fibre
■ Hollow tube
■ facilitates movement of organelles, assists in cell
division helps maintain cell shape
○ Intermediate filaments
■ Second thickest
■ Coiled into a cable
■ Anchors organelles, form inner scaffolding of nucleus,
helps maintain cell shape
○ Microfilaments
■ Thinnest
■ 2 strands of actin wound together
■ Involved in muscle contractions, assists in cell division, maintains cell
shape
Cilia & Flagella
➢ Enables the cell to move or to move substances over the cell
surface
Cilium: tiny hair-like projections around the cell
Flagellum: tail-like projection attached to the cell
Fluorescence Microscopy
Fluorescence microscopy: makes it possible to see inside a cell by staining cells with
fluorescent compounds in UV light - emits light of various colours to make it easy to observe
different organelles
➢ 4 techniques
○ Confocal microscopy
■ 3D image is formed when optical slices of a specimen are put together
○ Fluorescent in Situ Hybridization (FISH)
■ Dye-tagged antibodies that bind to specific DNA sequences are used to
stain chromosomes
○ Indirect immunofluorescence
■ Specific cell parts are stained when they are bound by primary antibodies,
which in turn, are bound by secondary dye-tagged antibodies
○ Ion Staining
■ Fluorescent probes are added to cells and, if certain ions are present, the
cells will fluoresce
2.1 - 2.2 - cell membrane and cellular transport
➢ 3 methods of transports in cells
○ Passive Transport
■ Diffusion
■ Osmosis
■ Facilitated diffusion
○ Active transport
■ Primary active transport
■ Secondary active transport
○ Membrane assisted transport
■ Endocytosis
● Phagocytosis
● Pinocytosis
● Receptor-mediated endocytosis
■ Exocytosis
Cell Membrane
➢ Acts as a boundary from extracellular fluid and the cell itself
➢ Regulates movement of ions and molecules into and out of the cell
➢ Semi-permeable (only allows some substances through)
○ Small uncharged polar and/or lipid soluble (hydrophobic) molecules can pass
thru the phospholipid bilayer easily
■ water, oxygen, carbon dioxide, & small fatty acids
○ Ions, Large Polar and/or water-soluble molecules have a hard time passing
through bc of hydrophobic interior
■ Have to pass through protein channels that are inserted throughout the
membrane
■ Eg. Ions, amino acids, triglycerides, glucose, & nucleic acids
Fluid Mosaic Model
➢ Basic framework is a phospholipid bilayer (recall polar heads face ECF, hydrophobic
fatty acid tails form hydrophobic interior)
➢ Proteins are inserted throughout the layer
○ Can be binded to other proteins or lipids, including glycoproteins and glycolipids
that are polar and therefore protrude from the surface of the membrane
■ glycoprotein: protein covalently bonded to carb chain
■ Glycolipid: lipid covalently bonded to carb chain
➢ Phospholipids in bilayer have weak intermolecular bonds, therefore can easily move
around, exchanging places millions of times/sec
➢ If a tear/puncture occurs, phospholipids will quickly rearrange themselves to seal the
rupture
➢ Flip flopping from head to tail is rare, but may occur
Fluidity
➢ Fluidity must be regulated to prevent too little or too many molecules from freely
entering/exiting the cell
➢ Recall that cholesterol maintains cell fluidity
➢ 3 factors that affect fluidity:
○ Temperature
■ Increase in temp = increase in fluidity
● Cholesterol will increase the intermolecular forces in the
membrane and hold it more tightly together, therefore reducing
fluidity
■ Decrease in temp = decrease in fluidity
● Phospholipids start to solidify into a gel-like fluidity but cholesterol
will break up the phospholipid packing, therefore increasing fluidity
○ # of double bonds in fatty acid tails
■ Increase in double bonds/kinks cause fatty acids to be less tightly packed
together, therefore increasing fluidity
○ Length of fatty acid tails
■ Longer FA chains = stronger intermolecular attractions = decrease in
fluidity
Cell Membrane Proteins
➢ 3 types of proteins can be found inserted in the
phospholipid bilayer:
○ Transmembrane protein
■ Intersects the entire membrane
○ Integral protein
■ only integrated into one of the bilayers
○ Peripheral protein
■ Remain on the edge/perimeter of the phospholipid or on other integral
proteins
➢ Peripheral and some integral proteins help stabilize membranes by linking them to the
cytoskeleton
Possible Functions of membrane proteins
➢ Transporting substances into/out of the cell
➢ Reaction catalysis
○ Enzymes found on membrane will catalyze reactions
➢ Cell recognition
○ carb chains that protrude attached to glycoproteins enable cells to “recognize”
each other so they know when something is foreign/harmful
➢ Signal reception and transduction
○ Hormones bind to receptors on the protein
○ Allow cells to receive and send signals to the rest of the body
Passive Transport vs Active Transport
Passive transport: movement on substances along [ ] gradient (does not require energy)
➢ Diffusion
➢ Osmosis
➢ Facilitated diffusion
Active Transport: movement of substances against [ ] gradient (requires ATP)
➢ Primary active transport
○ Direct use of ATP
➢ Secondary active transport
○ Indirect use of ATP
Passive Transport
Diffusion
➢ Moving from an area of low [ ] to an area of high [ ]
➢ When [ ] inside = [ ] outside, dynamic equilibrium is reached
➢ Factors affecting diffusion:
○ Increased Temp = higher rate of diffusion
○ smaller size = higher rate of diffusion
○ Charged molecules generally cannot diffuse across cell membranes
○ Concentration gradient and membrane SA
○ Hydrophobic molecules > small, uncharged polar molecules > large, uncharged
polar molecules > Ions
Osmosis
➢ Diffusion of water
➢ Not all solutes can pass through the cell membrane so in osmosis, water is always the
substance that moves to adjust the concentration
➢ 3 types of osmotic concentrations
○ When both solutions have the same osmotic [ ]
■ both considered isotonic
○ When there is unequal osmotic concentrations
■ Hypertonic: solution outside cell has higher solute [ ]
■ Hypotonic: solution outside cell lower solute [ ]
* look at red blood cell diagram in notes
Facilitated Diffusion
➢ Since large polar molecules and ions cannot diffuse through the membrane, regularly,
they can diffuse using either a:
○ transmembrane/channel protein
○ Carrier protein
➢ Works as long as [ ] outside cell > [ ] inside cell
Channel proteins/transmembrane
➢ Tubular shape made of proteins
➢ Exterior is made up of amino acids with non-polar chains
○ non-polar allows it to interact with the phospholipid’s non-polar interior
➢ Tunnel in the channel protein is very specifically shaped so only certain molecules/ions
can pass through
○ Generally passes smaller polar molecules/ions
➢ Some channels are always open but some can open/close in response to:
○ Hormones
○ Electric discharge
○ Pressure
○ Light
Cystic Fibrosis
➢ Fatal genetic disorder when channel proteins that move chloride ions is defective
➢ Causes improper water movement in and out of cells which builds up thick mucus in
respiratory passages and organs
Carrier Proteins
➢ Generally passes bigger polar molecules/ions
➢ Difference is that carrier proteins must BIND to the molecules/ions that pass through
➢ Carrier proteins change shape while they transport molecules/ions
Since they can only bind to a few molecules at a time, this type of transport takes
○
longer than channel proteins (i.e. lower diffusion rate)
➢ Exterior is also made of amino acids with non-polar side chains
○ Non-polar side chains allow it to interact with the phospholipid’s non-polar interior
➢ Interior is lined with amino acids that form intermolecular bonds with the molecule of
transport
Cystinuria
➢ Genetic disorder
➢ Inability to remove cystine and other amino acids from urine
○ If cystine isn’t removed then it can cause them to crystalize into stones called
calculi which block the urinary tract
Active Transport
➢ Since the molecules are going against the [ ] gradient they require energy called ATP
○ ATP (adenosine triphosphate) is made of an adenine nucleotide with 3
phosphate groups)
○ goes through hydrolysis to create ADP and 1 phosphate, with the release of
energy
Primary Active Transport
➢ Uses ATP directly
➢ The carrier protein needs to use ATP to move the molecule/ion against its concentration
gradient
Ion pump: a carrier protein that uses ATP to “pump” ions across the membrane
➢ Eg. sodium-potassium pump
○ 3 Na ions bind to the pump
○ Phosphate from hydrolysis of ATP attaches to pump which allows it to
change shape/move into next step
○ Shape changes and Na ions are released outside the cell
○ New configuration/position allows 2 K ions from the outside of the cell
bind to the pump causing the phosphate group to detach
○ Detachment of P group allows the protein to return to it’s original shape,
allowing the 2 K into the cell
➢ The pump results in one side of the membrane being positively charged and the
other side being negatively charged due to accumulation of negative or positive
ions on one side
➢ Electric potential difference + concentration gradient is called the
electrochemical gradient
○ Electrochemical gradient is responsible for storing energy that can be
used by the cell
Secondary Active Transport
➢ Using energy stored in the electrochemical gradient created by Primary active
transport to move ions/molecules across membrane
➢ Eg. Hydrogen-sucrose pump
○ Hydrogen ions go through Primary active transport to come out of the cell
using ATP
■ This creates an electrochemical gradient which stores the energy
that secondary active transport will use
○ Hydrogen ions and Sucrose molecules outside the cell bind to the
hydrogen-sucrose pump and come into the cell using the energy from the
electrochemical gradient
Membrane Assisted Transport
➢ Molecules that are too big (eg. macromolecules) have to use membrane-assisted
transport to get into the cell
➢ Forms vesicles to transport molecules
➢ Energy required
➢ 2 methods:
○ Endocytosis - Cell membrane engulfs around cell and pinches off to form vesicle
■ Phagocytosis
● Engulfing solid/discrete particles w/ liquid
■ Pinocytosis
● Engulfing liquid particles w/ solutes
■ Receptor-mediated endocytosis
● Coated pit: a portion on the cell membrane that is coated in a
layer of protein and has receptor proteins on it
● Receptor proteins only bind to specific molecules
● Coated pit binds to molecule and then pinches off to form the
vesicle
● Receptor proteins can be recycled
○ Exocytosis - How excretory products leave the cell
■ Vesicles carry molecules back to the cell membrane
● Vesicle fuses back into the cell membrane
● Vesicle releases products into the extracellular fluid
■ In plant cells this mechanism is used to export materials needed to build
the cell wall
■ In animal cells this mechanism is used to secrete hormones,
neurotransmitters, digestive enzymes, etc.