Page 106 - The Miracle in the Cell Membrane

The Miracle in the Cell Membrane

exam ple, the total amount of water that pass es through
the cell mem brane of just one of the 25 tril lion red blood
cells, or eryth ro cytes, in the blood in both direc tions a
36
sec ond is about 100 times the vol ume of eryth ro cyte. If
we mul ti ply this com ing and going by all the cells in the
body, and mul ti ply this by minutes, days and years, we'd
be hard put to express in numer i cal terms the amount of
ener gy a human would require in a life time.

Extracellular environment
Receptor
protein Channel protein
(always open) Closed channel protein
(in closed position)

Cell skele-
ton connec- Phospholipid Double-layered Glycoprotein
tions lipid layer
Transport
Cytoplasm protein Cholesterol

The cell membrane has entryways for
various molecules, but water passes
through particularly quickly and easi-
Extracellular fluid ly. Although water scarcely dissolves
Concentration at all in the cell membrane's fats, it
slope
Integral can enter with ease by means of the
protein
protein channels in the membrane.
Double-lay- The way that water enters so quickly
ered phos-
pholipid layer is most wise, in view of the cell's need
for large amounts of water, and is one
of the countless proofs of Creation.
Fat-soluble substance
Fat-insoluble substance Cytosol

104