Structural Hierarchy
Cell Membrane
Cell Structure
Transport
100

A function of how filled the outer shell is, and which shell is serving as the outermost shell

Reactivity 

100

Defines the cell boundary, serves as a semi-permeable barrier, regulates transport, site for important chemical reactions, sends and receives chemical messages. Has a fluid structure; not rigid 

The cell membrane

100

Plays a role in transport and chemical signaling, found in areas where the membrane is less fluid

Lipid raft

100

Can be uniport, symport or anti port, movement of large and or charged solute down their concentration gradient, requires use of transport protein and provides a hydrophilic channel 

Facilitated diffusion

200

Bond where one atom transfers an atom to the other atom, both now have full outer shells. 

Ionic Bonds

200

Make uo most of the membrane structure, form the lipid bilayer

Phospholipids

200

Achieved by either changing carbon chain length or changing the amount of unsaturation (within limits)

Homeoviscous Adaptation

200
Requires energy, moves a solute against its concentration gradient, not spontaneous, directional, requires a carrier protein, directly or indirectly couples to an energy source

active transport

300

Same formula but different arrangement of atoms

Structural isomers

300

Lipids with a sugar group or chain attached, important in cell signaling 

Glycolipids 
300

Proteins, Covalently bonded to membrane, enzymes or chemical messengers 

Lipid-anchored Proteins

300

Coupled directly to ATP hydrolysis, which releases 7.5 kcal/mole of energy

Direct Coupling

400

The same formula and arrangement of atoms, the spatial orientation of groups varied around the asymmetric carbon. 

Geometric Isomers 

400

Important in membrane integrity 

Sterols

500

Cells utilize only four basic families of carbon containing compounds. 

Sugars, Fatty acids, Amino acids, and Nucleotides 

500

Proportion of saturated to unsaturated fatty acid chains directly influences membrane melting point.

More saturation, higher Tm. Higher Tm = longer chains

 More unsaturation, lower Tm. Lower Tm = shorter chains

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