fluid mosaic

• when was the fluid mosaic model suggested?


  1972
• what happened in 1972?


  the fluid mosaic model was suggested to describe the arrangement of molecules in the membrane
• Give details about the fluid mosaic model?


  in the model, phospholipid molecules form a continuous, double layer (bilayer)
• why is this bilayer 'fluid'?


  because the phospholipids are constantly moving
• give an example of a molecule present within the bilayer?


  cholestoral molecules
• how are proteins scattered through the bilayer?


  SCATTERED through the bilayer, like tiles in a mosaic
• give examples of proteins found scattered through the bilayer?


  • channel proteins
  • carrier proteins
  • receptor proteins
• what do channel and carrier proteins do?


  Allow large molecules and ions to pass through the membrane
• What do receptor proteins do?


  • Receptor proteins on the cell-surface membrane allow the cell to detect chemicals released from other cells
  • The chemicals signal to the cell to respond in some way
• How are some proteins able to movee through the bilayer?


  some proteins are able to move sideways through the bilayer, whilst others are fixed in position
• What is the structure of a glycoprotein?


  Proteins which have a polysaccharide chain attached
• What is the structure of a glycolipid?


  a lipid with a polysaccharide chain attached