Download Slide 1

For compounds to enter cells from the outside they must somehow penetrate
the membrane (also outer membrane in gram-negative bacteria, and the cell wall
if present
Cell membranes consist of lipid bilayers
Some simple rules about movement of molecules across cellular membranes:
•Cell membranes represent physical barriers to the surrounding environment. But they
are not like a concrete wall and also not like the thin membrane in a soap-bubble. It is a
much more complex barrier that lets certain selected compounds through in a strictly
controlled manner.
•Macromolecules and charged smaller molecules do not generally pass through
membranes passively (by diffusion). This for example means that organisms cannot use
proteins directly as food. They are instead partly degraded before uptake.
•Some uncharged smaller molcules can enter cells by passive diffusion.
•Many types of molecules can enter cells by various types of active transport systems.
These processes are compound-specific and may or may not require energy
consumption (i. e ATP).
The detailed structures of membranes are very complicated