School of Medicine

Department of Medical Physiology

Cell Physiology and transportation

for
PC I students Abebaye (PhD) 1
 Objectives
• At the end:
– Able to discus cells structures
– Able to discuses the functions of the structures of a cell
– Able to list the types and functions of membrane proteins
– Able to discus cell transportation

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 Cell Physiology

• Cells:
 Smallest structural & functional unit of life

 Small in size  10-20um

 Large in number  75-100 trillion in a young adult man

 Grouped in d/f functional structures

 Types
 Eukaryotic
 Blood, nerve, muscle, fat and glandular cells

 Prokaryotic cells

 Have many functions

 Transportation, defense, protection 3
 Structures of human cells
1) Plasma/cell membrane
• Double, thin, flexible structure surrounding animal cell
• Composed of biological molecules for:
– Selective barrier (semi-permeable) and transportation
– Supporting, protecting the cell & retain cytoplasmic contents
– Recognition (identity proteins) and communication
• Pattern recognition receptors
– Detect pathogen associated molecular pattern (PAMs): PAMS for SARS CoV-2

– Foreign body attachment: HIV, SARS CoV-2

– Maintains chemical & electrical gradients
– Controls and directs cellular activities
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 Major compositions of cell membrane
• Phospholipids (25%)

• Form double membrane, lipid bilayer (outer and inner)

– Asymmetry (variation in composition and arrangement)
– Amphipathic molecule
» Hydrophilic and hydrophobic properties

• Carbohydrates (3%)
– Combined (glycoprotein and glycolipid): recognition and blood clotting
• E.g Glycocalyx (blood clotting)

• Proteins (55%): membrane proteins

– Intrinsic and extrinsic

• Cholesterol (13%) 5
 Fluid mosaic model cont’…
Fibers (collagen) where
cell rest is called basal
lamina

Fig1: Fluid mosaic model

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 Membrane proteins
i- Integral proteins
– Transmembrane, intrinsic proteins
– Strongly bonded with lipid bilayer
– Not removed easily with out affecting the membrane
– Most of them are glycoproteins
• Receptors (GPCR)
• Ion channels
• Carriers (permease, pumps)

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 Membrane proteins con’t
ii- Peripheral proteins
– Attached to the inner membrane

– Not penetrate the hydrophobic core of the membrane

– Easily removed

– Enzymes

• Protein kinases, Phospholipases

– Important

• Cell signaling

• Anchoring (integral proteins and cytoskeleton)

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Membrane proteins and their functions con’t

Fig 2: Functions of membrane proteins

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 Functions of membrane proteins
• Receive chemicals and transport substances
– Receptor and transporter proteins, respectively

– Transporters proteins (uniporters, symporters and antiporters)

• Link structures: Linkers proteins

• Communication (gap junctions) and recognition (identity)

– Immune cells can recognize self cells

• Enzymatic reaction and signal transduction

• Cell adhesion: one cell to another

– Platelet attached on endothelial cells

• Connect the cell with the cytoskeleton

• Keeping the integrity of membrane 10

 Parts of human cell...
2) Cytoplasm
– Space b/n the nucleus and cell membrane
– Contains fluid: cytosol/ICF
– Organelles
• The machinery of a cell
Water, glucose,
• Has their own functions cytosol proteins, electrolytes

Dispersed FA, glycoprotein,

particles excretory granules
Cytoplasm
Organels

Fig 3: Cytoplasmic contents 11

 Organelles
• Nucleus
– Largest organelle at the center of the cell
– Has nuclear membrane with nuclear envelop
– Controls cell functions
• Genes: molecules made up of DNA
• There are many genes with their own triplet code word
• The functional unit of genes and they have their own sequences
Gene Gene I Gene II Gene III
Triplet sequence for each gene CAG AGC GAC
Specific proteins (hormones, Protein type I Protein type II Protein type
enzymes,activitors, inhibitors) III

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 Ribosomes and endoplasmic reticulum

GA
 More in secretary
cells (plasma B and
acinar cells )

Free

Exocytosis

sER
 Stores Ca++(SR)
Steroids
Phosphatase (glycogenolysis)
Glucokinase(gluG-6-phosphate
in -cell)
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Fig 4: Ribosmomes and ER
 Mitochondria and ATP production

Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD): NADH is the

reduced form of NAD and carry energy
2NADH
2

38 ATP’s from one glucose molecule but

Fig 5: Mitochondrion 2ATP used for preparation steps
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 Lysosome

cytosol pH =7.2
Fig 6: Actions of lysosome

Acid hydrolic enzyme (pH<7)

Contain lysozyme and digest Suicide

membrane
Intracellular digestive
phagosome system: stomach of
the cell

Tay-Sachs Disorder: when the lysosomal enzymes absent: glycolipids in the

neurons not break down, accumulated  dementia, seizures and other disorders
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 Peroxisomes and action of catalase

 Replicated from ER : facilitate the formation of H2O2

 Release catalase
 Shorter and smoother

Harmless

harmless

Fig 7: Action of catalase and peroxidase

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 Cell junctions and types

provide strong mechanical

attachments between adjacent
cells.
4
Electrical signal conducted
1
3

2
Fig 8: Cells communication Sheet epithelial cells, BBB

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Transport across cell membrane

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 Membrane transport
 Passage of substances across the cell membrane
 Influx/efflux
 The passage can be through:
 Lipid bilayer/proteins

 Cells differ in their permeability: Variation in :

– Composition and arrangement

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 Transport across the cell membrane

Protein
-Nutrients
-Ions and With out proteins
 Gas
Water are
Lipid soluble substances
through
Alcohol
-

Fig 9: Transportation across the cell membrane

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 Types of membrane transport
• Passive transport
– No energy required
• Movement down concentration gradient
• Concentration & electrical gradients forces
• Substances follow their concentration gradient
– Concentration gradient reduced /eliminated
– Pressure gradient
• Filtration in the kidney

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 Types of the passive transport...

1 - Simple diffusion
– Via lipid bilayer and non-gated ion channels

– Lipid soluble, gas and alcohol (via lipid bilayer)

• Vitamin A, D, E and K

2- Facilitated diffusion
– Carrier (permease ) mediated

– Solutes bind to the carrier (conformational changes)

• Rotate, open
– The substance released into the low concentration side

– Substances attached from high concentration region

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 Factors affecting the diffusion rate: rate of transport

• Cell membrane thickness

• Molecular Size

• Temperature

• The gradient (electrical and concentration) 2

1
– Net influx, F = kpA(C0-Ci)
– The net efflux, F= kpA(Ci-C0)
• kp(Permeability constant)

• Lipid solubility

• Membrane surface area

• Permeability 23
Passive transport: osmosis and osmotic pressure
3- Osmosis
– Net movement of water from
• The region of high water molecules to low water molecules
• Low solute to the high solute concentration
• Hypotonic to hypertonic solution
– Equalizes water concentration across the membrane
– If there is water and solute concentration difference

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 Solution tonicity
• Tonicity
 Is the osmotic activity of body solution
 Ability of a solution affecting cell volume
 The solution:
 Isotonic, hypotonic and hypertonic against cytosol
 Affects osmotic pressure of the solution

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 A cell in different solution

The solution concentration

compared with the
concentration of intracellular
solution

What will be the cell volume if

you add different solution into
the ECF?
 Isotonic solution
Hypertonic solution
Hypotonic solution
Fig 10: A cell in different solution types
 Osmosis and osmotic pressure
• Osmotic pressure
– Force applied by solution to oppose the net movement of water
– Affected by osmole and the tonicity of solution :
• One mole of glucose= 1 osmole/L
• One mole of NaCl = 2 osmole/L
• One mole of HCl = 2 osmole/ L
• One mole of Na2SO4 = 3 osmole/L

– The more the osmotic pressure, the less the movement of water
to opposite side of a membrane

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 Osmotic pressure con’t
• Not affected by
– Size of the molecule in the solution
• Which of these is with the high osmotic pressure

– One mole of glucose (C6h12O6) or one mole of NaCl?

– Chemical nature
• It can be expressed in terms of osmolarity

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 Active transport
• Transporter proteins (pumps) use energy
– Na+-K+ pumps, Ca++ pumps
– Pump mediated and bulk transport
– Energy sources: ATP/ions
• Against concentration gradient.
• Gradient elevated

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 Transporter proteins
Table : Transporter proteins
Proteins
Cotransporter
Uniportor Symporter Antiporter/exchanger
Na+, Ca++, K+ , H+ Na+-glucose, Na+-AA Na+-K+, Na+-Ca++ , K+ -
channels transporters ,Na+- K+ and H+
2Cl-

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Two types active transport
A) Ion driven

 Down hill ion movements uphill the solutes

 Indirect source of energy is ATP

B) ATP-driven: primary or direct

 ATP hydrolyzed by ATPase to drive uphill solute

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 Primary active transport: Na+- K+ pumps
1. Regulate cell volume
2. Create membrane potential
(electrogenic effect)
3. Maintain ion diffusion gradient
4. Contribute for 20 active transport

Fig 11: Sodium- potassium pump

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Secondary active transport

Secondary active transport

Na+
Fig 12 : 20 active transport
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