Talk to us?

- NEETMDS- courses
NEET MDS Lessons
Physiology

Membrane Structure & Function

Cell Membranes

  • Cell membranes are phospholipid bilayers (2 layers)
  • Bilayer forms a barrier to passage of molecules in an out of cell
  • Phospholipids = glycerol + 2 fatty acids + polar molecule (i.e., choline) + phosphate
  • Cholesterol (another lipid) stabilizes cell membranes
  • the hydrophobic tails of the phospholipids (fatty acids) are together in the center of the bilayer. This keeps them out of the water

Membranes Also Contain Proteins

  • Proteins that penetrate the membrane have hydrophobic sections ~25 amino acids long
  • Hydrophobic = doesn't like water = likes lipids
  • Membrane proteins have many functions:
    • receptors for hormones
    • pumps for transporting materials across the membrane
    • ion channels
    • adhesion molecules for holding cells to extracellular matrix

cell recognition antigens

Remember the following principles before proceeding :
- Reabsorption occurs for most of substances that have been previously filterd .
- The direction of reabsorption is from the tubules to the peritubular capillaries
- All of transport mechanism are used here.
- Different morphology of the cells of different parts of the tubules contribute to reabsorption of different substances .
- There are two routes of reabsorption: Paracellular and transcellular : Paracellular reabsorption depends on the tightness of the tight junction which varies from regeon to region in the nephrons .Transcellular depends on presence of transporters ( carriers and channels for example).


1. Reabsorption of glucose , amino acids , and proteins :

Transport of glucose occurs in the proximal tubule . Cells of proximal tubules are similar to those of the intestinal mucosa as the apical membrane has brush border form to increase the surface area for reabsorption , the cells have plenty of mitochondria which inform us that high amount of energy is required for active transport , and the basolateral membrane of the cells contain sodium -potassium pumps , while the apical membrane contains a lot of carrier and channels .

The tight junction between the tubular cells of the proximal tubules are not that (tight) which allow paracellular transport.
Reabsorption of glucose starts by active transport of  Na by the pumps on the basolateral membrane . This will create Na gradient which will cause Na to pass the apical membrane down its concentration gradient . Glucose also passes the membrane up its concentration gradient using sodium -glucose symporter as a secondary active transport.


The concentration of glucose will be increased in the cell and this will enable the glucose to pass down concentration gradient to the interstitium by glucose uniporter . Glucose will then pass to the peritubular capillaries by simple bulk flow.

Remember: Glucose reabsorption occurs via transcellular route .
          Glucose transport has transport maximum . In normal situation there is no glucose in the urine , but in uncontrolled diabetes mellitus patients glucose level exceeds its transport maximum (390 mg/dl) and thus will appear in urine .
                   
                   
                   
2. Reabsorption of Amino acids : Use secondary active transport mechanism like glucose.

3. Reabsorption of proteins : 

Plasma proteins are not filtered in Bowman capsule but some proteins and peptides in blood may pass the filtration membrane and then reabsorbed . Some peptides are reabsorbed paracellulary , while the others bind to the apical membrane and then enter the cells by endocytosis , where they will degraded by peptidase enzymes to amino acids .

4. Reabsorption of sodium , water , and chloride:

65 % of sodium is reabsorbed in the proximal tubules , while 25% are reabsorbed in the thick ascending limb of loob of Henle , 9% in the distal and collecting tubules and collecting ducts .
90% of sodium reabsorption occurs independently from its plasma level (unregulated) , This is true for sodium reabsorbed in proximal tubule and loop of Henle , while the 9% that is reabsorbed in distal ,collecting tubules and collecting ducts is regulated by Aldosterone. 


In proximal tubules : 65% of sodium is reabsorbed . The initial step occurs by creating sodium gradient  by sodium-potassium pump on the basolateral membrane . then the sodium will pass from the lumen into the cells down concentration gradient by sodium -glucose symporter , sodium -phosphate symporter and by sodium- hydrogen antiporter and others                    
                   
After reabsorption of sodium , an electrical gradient will be created , then chloride is reabsorbed following the sodium  . Thus the major cation and anion leave the lumen to the the interstitium and thus the water follows by osmosis . 65% of water is reabsorbed in the proximal tubule.

Discending limb of loop of Henle is impermeable to electrolytes but avidly permeable to water . 10 % of water is reabsorbed in the discending thin limb of loob of Henle .

The thick ascending limb of loop of Henly is permeable to electrolytes , due to the presence of Na2ClK syporter . 25% of sodium is reabsorbed here .

In the distal and collecting tubules and the collecting ducts 9% of sodium is reabsorbed .this occurs under aldosterone control depending on sodium plasma level. 1% of sodium is excreted .

Water is not reabsorbed from distal tubule but 5-25% of water is reabsorbed in collecting tubules .

Nucleic Acids:

  • Two major types: DNA
  • RNA (including mRNA, tRNA, & rRNA) 
    • Both types have code which specifies the sequence of amino acids in proteins
    • DNA = archival copy of genetic code, kept in nucleus, protected
    • RNA = working copy of code, used to translate a specific gene into a protein, goes into cytoplasm & to ribosomes, rapidly broken down
  • Nucleic acids are made of 5 nucleotide bases, sugars and phosphate groups
  • The bases make up the genetic code ; the phosphate and sugar make up the backbone
  • RNA is a molecule with a single strand
  • DNA is a double strand (a double helix) held together by hydrogen bonds between the bases
    • A = T; C= G because:
      • A must always hydrogen bond to T

C must always hydrogen bond to G

Carbon Dioxide Transport

Carbon dioxide (CO2) combines with water forming carbonic acid, which dissociates into a hydrogen ion (H+) and a bicarbonate ions:

CO2 + H2O ↔ H2CO3 ↔ H+ + HCO3

95% of the CO2 generated in the tissues is carried in the red blood cells:

  • It probably enters (and leaves) the cell by diffusing through transmembrane channels in the plasma membrane. (One of the proteins that forms the channel is the D antigen that is the most important factor in the Rh system of blood groups.)
  • Once inside, about one-half of the CO2 is directly bound to hemoglobin (at a site different from the one that binds oxygen).
  • The rest is converted — following the equation above — by the enzyme carbonic anhydrase into
    • bicarbonate ions that diffuse back out into the plasma and
    • hydrogen ions (H+) that bind to the protein portion of the hemoglobin (thus having no effect on pH).

Only about 5% of the CO2 generated in the tissues dissolves directly in the plasma. (A good thing, too: if all the CO2 we make were carried this way, the pH of the blood would drop from its normal 7.4 to an instantly-fatal 4.5!)

When the red cells reach the lungs, these reactions are reversed and CO2 is released to the air of the alveoli.

The large intestine (colon)

The large intestine receives the liquid residue after digestion and absorption are complete. This residue consists mostly of water as well as materials (e.g. cellulose) that were not digested. It nourishes a large population of bacteria (the contents of the small intestine are normally sterile). Most of these bacteria (of which one common species is E. coli) are harmless. And some are actually helpful, for example, by synthesizing vitamin K. Bacteria flourish to such an extent that as much as 50% of the dry weight of the feces may consist of bacterial cells. Reabsorption of water is the chief function of the large intestine. The large amounts of water secreted into the stomach and small intestine by the various digestive glands must be reclaimed to avoid dehydration.

Exchange of gases:

  • External respiration:
    • exchange of O2 & CO2 between external environment & the cells of the body
    • efficient because alveoli and capillaries have very thin walls & are very abundant (your lungs have about 300 million alveoli with a total surface area of about 75 square meters)
  • Internal respiration - intracellular use of O2 to make ATP
  • occurs by simple diffusion along partial pressure gradients

Bile contains:

  • bile acids. These amphiphilic steroids emulsify ingested fat. The hydrophobic portion of the steroid dissolves in the fat while the negatively-charged side chain interacts with water molecules. The mutual repulsion of these negatively-charged droplets keeps them from coalescing. Thus large globules of fat (liquid at body temperature) are emulsified into tiny droplets (about 1 µm in diameter) that can be more easily digested and absorbed.

 

  • bile pigments. These are the products of the breakdown of hemoglobin removed by the liver from old red blood cells. The brownish color of the bile pigments imparts the characteristic brown color of the feces.

Explore by Exams