Role Of Phospholipid Bilayer On Movement Of Mate

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D1; Analyse the role of the phospholipid bilayer in terms of the movement of materials into and out of cells The phospholipid bilayer is the structure which surrounds a cell, this plasma membrane is made up of two layers of phospholipids; these are the intracellular layer, which is at the bottom, and the extracellular layer which is at the top (Wisegeek.com/bilayer. 2011). The mosaic model shows that the phospholipids are arranged in shapes like heads and tails, the polar heads are made up of glycerol, phosphate and nitrogen and the non-polar tails are made up of fatty acid chains (Wisegeek.com/bilayer. 2011). The polar heads will interact with water as they are hydrophilic, though the tails/fatty acids are never exposed to water therefore they are hydrophobic (Wisegeek.com/bilayer. 2011). Water itself is polar, and the dual nature of the phospholipid bilayer causes it to arrange itself in such a way that the polar head interacts with water and the non-polar tails to avoid water (Wisegeek.com/bilayer. 2011). The bilayer is selectively permeable which enables it to act as a barrier that keeps proteins, ions and other molecules where they are needed and prevents them from diffusing into areas where they are not (Wisegeek.com/bilayer. 2011). Small molecules can move through the layer automatically, this is diffusion from a high concentration to an area of low concentration, whereas water diffuses from highly concentrated areas to low concentrated areas. This process is known as osmosis and its purpose is to maintain equilibrium within the cell in order for it to function properly (Wisegeek.com/bilayer. 2011). The movement of materials across the bilayer can be achieved through passive and active transport; Passive transport is where small molecules can pass freely across the membrane without the need for an energy source, such as water and oxygen

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