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superhero superhero
wrote...
13 years ago
I don't understand the following. Please help me. I'm more interested in the explanation if you can. Thank you!

 1) Membrane lipids from 4.74*109 erythrocytes form a monolayer of 0.89 m2 in water.  The surface area of an average erythrocyte is ~ 100 mm2.  Show that the membrane is a bilayer.

2)
a. How many moles of K+ will diffuse across the erythrocyte membrane in one minute under the following conditions:
[K+]in = 100 mM
[K+]out = 15 mM
Surface Area of erythrocyte: 100 mm2 = 100*10-12 m2
Permeability P of K+ = 2.4*10-10 cm-sec-1

b. If the erythrocyte volume is 100 mm3, what percent of the internal K+ willl leak out in 1 minute?
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Replies
wrote...
Educator
13 years ago
1) The surface are of this many erythrocytes works out to:

4.74 x 109 cells x 100 x 10-12 m2 cells-1 = 0.474 m2

This is approximately ½ the measured area, implying that the membrane of each erythrocyte must contain two layers of lipid.
 
wrote...
Educator
13 years ago
2. Put everything in terms of centimeters (i.e. convert mols/liter to mols/cm3, m2 to cm2, etc.)

J = -P x A x [C2 - C1]

J = -(2.4 x 10-10 cm/sec)(100 x 10-8cm2)[(0.1 mol/1000 cm3)-(0.015 mol/1000 cm3)]

J = -2.4 x 10-20 mol/sec x 60 sec/min = 1.224 x 10-18 mol/min

Please mark as solved if you have no further questions.
superhero Author
wrote...
13 years ago
Hey Bio_man, did you get the answers from somewhere?
On part 1, I don't get where 100*10^-12 came from? And part 2a, isn't it -2.04 x 10^-20. When I calculated, I didn't get -2.4x10^-20.
wrote...
Educator
13 years ago
Yes, I got it from the solutions manual.
superhero Author
wrote...
13 years ago
Where did you find the solution manual at? Can you send it to me?
wrote...
Educator
13 years ago
Where did you find the solution manual at? Can you send it to me?

Can't, but it wouldn't be of much use. I wrote exactly what was on there:

The surface are of this many erythrocytes works out to:



This is approximately ½ the measured area, implying that the membrane of each erythrocyte must

contain two layers of lipid.

Second part:



Third Part:

Calculate the total amount of cellular K+:



What percent...?


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