
Concept explainers
To determine: The four basic functions of the cell membrane.
Introduction: Cells are the basic functional units of life. A single cell has the potential to carry out all the important processes for supporting life. Human is a multicellular organism. Every cell present in the human body contains cell membrane and different cell organelles.

Explanation of Solution
Cells form the structural and functional part of the human body. The human body can be separated into two fluid portions if all the cells of the body are considered as one component. One portion is extracellular fluid (ECF), which is present outside the cell, and the other is intracellular fluid (ICF), which is present inside the cell. The membrane surrounding a cell which separates it from the extracellular fluid is known as the cell membrane. It is made up of proteins and the lipids.
The four basic functions of the cell membrane are as follows:
- Cell membrane helps to prevent mixing of intercellular and extracellular material. The cell membrane forms a wall between the ECF and ICF.
- The cell membrane also helps in regulating the movement of material in and out of the cell. The cell membrane allows only certain ions or nutrients to enter into the cell or leave the cell as waste.
- Information is transferred with the help of proteins present in the cell membrane.
- The proteins present in the cell membrane supports the cytoskeleton in maintaining the shape of the cell.
Want to see more full solutions like this?
Chapter 3 Solutions
Human Physiology: An Integrated Approach (8th Edition)
- You intend to insert patched dominant negative DNA into the left half of the neural tube of a chick. 1) Which side of the neural tube would you put the positive electrode to ensure that the DNA ends up on the left side? 2) What would be the internal (within the embryo) control for this experiment? 3) How can you be sure that the electroporation method itself is not impacting the embryo? 4) What would you do to ensure that the electroporation is working? How can you tell?arrow_forwardDescribe a method to document the diffusion path and gradient of Sonic Hedgehog through the chicken embryo. If modifying the protein, what is one thing you have to consider in regards to maintaining the protein’s function?arrow_forwardThe following table is from Kumar et. al. Highly Selective Dopamine D3 Receptor (DR) Antagonists and Partial Agonists Based on Eticlopride and the D3R Crystal Structure: New Leads for Opioid Dependence Treatment. J. Med Chem 2016.arrow_forward
- The following figure is from Caterina et al. The capsaicin receptor: a heat activated ion channel in the pain pathway. Nature, 1997. Black boxes indicate capsaicin, white circles indicate resinferatoxin. You are a chef in a fancy new science-themed restaurant. You have a recipe that calls for 1 teaspoon of resinferatoxin, but you feel uncomfortable serving foods with "toxins" in them. How much capsaicin could you substitute instead?arrow_forwardWhat protein is necessary for packaging acetylcholine into synaptic vesicles?arrow_forward1. Match each vocabulary term to its best descriptor A. affinity B. efficacy C. inert D. mimic E. how drugs move through body F. how drugs bind Kd Bmax Agonist Antagonist Pharmacokinetics Pharmacodynamicsarrow_forward
- 50 mg dose of a drug is given orally to a patient. The bioavailability of the drug is 0.2. What is the volume of distribution of the drug if the plasma concentration is 1 mg/L? Be sure to provide units.arrow_forwardDetermine Kd and Bmax from the following Scatchard plot. Make sure to include units.arrow_forwardChoose a catecholamine neurotransmitter and describe/draw the components of the synapse important for its signaling including synthesis, packaging into vesicles, receptors, transporters/degradative enzymes. Describe 2 drugs that can act on this system.arrow_forward
- The following figure is from Caterina et al. The capsaicin receptor: a heat activated ion channel in the pain pathway. Nature, 1997. Black boxes indicate capsaicin, white circles indicate resinferatoxin. a) Which has a higher potency? b) Which is has a higher efficacy? c) What is the approximate Kd of capsaicin in uM? (you can round to the nearest power of 10)arrow_forwardWhat is the rate-limiting-step for serotonin synthesis?arrow_forwardWhat enzyme is necessary for synthesis of all of the monoamines?arrow_forward
- Human Physiology: From Cells to Systems (MindTap ...BiologyISBN:9781285866932Author:Lauralee SherwoodPublisher:Cengage LearningHuman Biology (MindTap Course List)BiologyISBN:9781305112100Author:Cecie Starr, Beverly McMillanPublisher:Cengage LearningConcepts of BiologyBiologyISBN:9781938168116Author:Samantha Fowler, Rebecca Roush, James WisePublisher:OpenStax College
- Human Heredity: Principles and Issues (MindTap Co...BiologyISBN:9781305251052Author:Michael CummingsPublisher:Cengage Learning



