IB Biology Topic B2.2.3: Advantages of Compartmentalization in the Cytoplasm of Cells Notes

Compartmentalization: How Membranes Make Cells More Efficient

1. Eukaryotic cells divide their cytoplasm into separate compartments using membrane-bound organelles.
   1. Each organelle's lipid bilayer acts as a barrier, creating an enclosed space where conditions can differ from the rest of the cytoplasm.
   2. This is called compartmentalization, and it gives eukaryotic cells several advantages over prokaryotes, which lack membrane-bound organelles.

Three Advantages of Compartmentalization

1. Concentrating enzymes and substrates
   1. Organelles concentrate specific enzymes and their substrates in a small volume.
   2. Because enzyme reactions depend on collisions between enzyme and substrate, a higher local concentration speeds up the reaction.