Homeostasis: The Cell Membrane

Notes on the Web - Unit Four- Part 5
Homeostasis: The Cell Membrane

Bruce G. Stewart

General Objectives and Study Guide

Your objectives for these Notes on the Web and associated readings and exercises are:

To state and explain the major functions of the cell membrane;
To describe the structure of the cell membrane;
To name and explain the function of the components of the cell membrane;
To define and explain diffusion, osmosis, active transport, facilitated (passive) transport, exocytosis, and endocytosis;
To name and explain specialized cell membrane proteins related to cell communication;
To define cell signal transduction and explain the role of cell membrane proteins in the process;
To explain an example of signal transduction in the locations of human blood meals by the female mosquito;
To know common terms and facts associated with the topic of cell transport and the cell membrane.

Related Textbook Readings

For General Biology (BIO 1114) Class only: Johnson and Losos (2008) Chapter 5 (in part)
For General Zoology (ZOO 1114) Class only: Hickman, et al. (2004) Chapter 3 (in part) plus lab book readings (see lab reading assignments in syllabus)

Reminder about Textbook Study

As with other topics, your textbooks have excellent presentations of the materials on cellular metabolism, including generous excellent illustrations. Check the general objectives above to make sure that you have covered all of the topics in the textbook readings.

The "Self Test"and other questions will be helpful for general biology students, although many more detailed questions will be included in the lecture exam. Similarly, study questions in the zoology textbook will be helpful review for general zoology students, but again, they are not comprehensive.

As with all materials throughout the semester, you will have opportunities to ask questions or ask that any relevant material from your assignments be discussed in class and/or in threaded discussions on Internet.

Required Links

Connecting Concepts: Signal Transduction (How Cells Receive and React to External Signals) - University of Wisconsin Board of Regents This site has excellent interactive instruction on the signal transduction (the mechanisms of response of cells (and thus organisms) to chemical stimuli. General biology and zoology students should review the introductory material on signal transduction and then go through the detail example of how female blood-sucking mosquitoes respond to human sweat to locate their human blood meals.

Construction of the Cell Membrane by Barbara Liang (Wisc Online) - Note: Please ask me for clarification of terms for the various kinds of membrane proteins illustrated at this site. Your textbook may use slightly different terminology because it presents these in a little more detail. Nonetheless, the concepts are the same. There is a simple quiz associated with this site that would be very helpful for your study.

Recommended Related Link

As is typical for all of us, learning is reinforced when we view and study the same materials presented in more than one way. Thus, I offer you the following links to resources that are covered in this part of your Notes on the Web.

The Virtual Cell Web Page

Biology Homepage		Bruce G. Stewart Homepage
Zoology Homepage