Edexcel A-Level Biology B 9BI0
Biological Molecules
Cells, Viruses and Reproduction of Living Things
Classification and Biodiversity
Exchange and Transport
Energy for Biological Processes
Microbiology and Pathogens
Modern Genetics
Origins of Genetic Variation
Control Systems
Ecosystems
Exchange and Transport
The fluid mosaic model
- 2 things to know
- Papers 1, 2 and 3
Overview
Recall questions on the fluid mosaic model, membrane thickness, intrinsic and extrinsic proteins, cholesterol, glycoproteins, glycolipids and receptors, and the beetroot investigation of how temperature affects membrane permeability.
What you need to know
Answer each one before you reveal it.
The cell surface membrane is described as a fluid mosaic. What does each of those two words describe?
Questions from this subtopic
Each one with the model answer underneath.
- 1
The cell surface membrane is described as a fluid mosaic. What does each of those two words describe?
Model answer
Fluid refers to the phospholipid molecules being free to move relative to one another within each layer, and mosaic refers to the scattered, patchwork arrangement of differently sized proteins throughout the bilayer.
- 2
State the approximate thickness of a cell surface membrane.
Model answer
The cell surface membrane is about 7 nm thick.
- 3
Distinguish between intrinsic and extrinsic membrane proteins.
Model answer
Intrinsic (integral) proteins are embedded within the bilayer and often span it completely, whereas extrinsic (peripheral) proteins sit on one surface of the bilayer and do not pass through it.
- 4
What is the role of cholesterol in the cell surface membrane?
Model answer
Cholesterol molecules pack between the phospholipid tails, restricting their movement so the membrane is more stable and less fluid, and reducing its permeability to water-soluble substances.
- 5
What is a glycoprotein and what does it do in the membrane?
Model answer
A glycoprotein is a membrane protein with a carbohydrate chain attached to its outer surface, and it acts in cell recognition and as a receptor or antigen.
- 6
What is a glycolipid?
Model answer
A lipid in the outer layer of the membrane with a carbohydrate chain attached, which acts in cell recognition and helps to stabilise the membrane.
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