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Practice - Membrane Structure 1 definitions

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  • Phospholipase A2
    Enzyme that selectively cleaves unsaturated fatty acids at the 2-position of phospholipids, impacting membrane fluidity.
  • Phospholipid
    Molecule with a phosphate-containing head and two fatty acid tails, forming the structural basis of cellular membranes.
  • Ester Bond
    Chemical linkage connecting fatty acids to the glycerol backbone in phospholipids, crucial for membrane structure.
  • Unsaturated Fatty Acid
    Hydrocarbon chain with one or more double bonds, often found at the 2-position in phospholipids, enhancing membrane flexibility.
  • Integral Membrane Protein
    Protein embedded within the membrane, possessing both hydrophobic and hydrophilic regions, requiring detergents for extraction.
  • Detergent
    Amphipathic molecule used to solubilize membrane proteins by interacting with their hydrophobic regions.
  • Hydrophobic Region
    Nonpolar segment of a molecule, typically found within the membrane interior, repelling water.
  • Hydrophilic Region
    Polar segment of a molecule, often exposed to aqueous environments, attracting water.
  • Membrane-Spanning Helix
    Alpha-helical segment, usually about 20 amino acids long, traversing the lipid bilayer of membranes.
  • Flippase
    Enzyme facilitating movement of phospholipids from the outer to the inner leaflet, maintaining membrane asymmetry.
  • Floppase
    Enzyme responsible for transferring phospholipids from the inner to the outer leaflet of the membrane.
  • Scramblase
    Enzyme enabling bidirectional movement of phospholipids across membrane leaflets, disrupting asymmetry.
  • Leaflet
    One of the two layers of phospholipids forming the bilayer structure of cellular membranes.
  • Mole Ratio
    Quantitative comparison of the number of moles of lipids to proteins in a membrane, calculated using mass and molecular weight.
  • Molecular Weight
    Mass of a molecule expressed in Daltons, used to determine mole ratios in membrane composition analysis.