Plasma Membrane

Plasma membrane is also referred to as the cell membrane.
It is the membrane found in all cells, that separate the inner part of the cell from the exterior.
Plasma membrane is composed of a lipid layer which is semipermeable.
It is responsible to regulate the transportation of materials and the movement of substances in and out of
the cell.
Plasma membrane is selectively permeable to organic molecules and ions, it regulates the movement of
particles in and out of organelles and cells.
Plasma Membrane Image
Plasma Membrane Functions

The Functions of the Plasma Membrane in Points are Given Below
A variety of specialised functions are performed by the proteins that are embedded in the
Membrane, including cell-cell recognition and the selective transport of molecules.
Additionally, it provides protection to the cell while maintaining a constant environment within the
cell. It is in charge of a number of different tasks and functions.
The flexibility of white and red blood cells is important because it helps them move through the blood
capillaries more efficiently.
A cell’s cytoskeletal structure, which helps it maintain its shape, is also maintained by the cell, which
works in conjunction with the extracellular matrix and other cells to form tissues.
The Plasma Membrane is the component of the cell that is most responsible for interacting with
neighbouring cells.
The Membrane also assists the Proteins in monitoring and maintaining the chemical climate within
the cell, as well as assisting in the movement of molecules within the Membrane.
Plasma Membrane
1)provides protection for a cell
2) provides a fixed environment inside the cell
3) has several different functions. One is to transport nutrients into the

cell and also to transport toxic substances out of the cell.
4) have proteins on it which interact with other cells
5) proteins can be glycoprotein, meaning there's a sugar and a protein

moiety, or they could be lipid proteins, meaning there's a fat and a protein
6) those proteins which stick outside of the plasma membrane will allow
for one cell to interact with another cell.
7) provides some structural support for a cell
8) protects the cell from its external environment, mediates cellular transport, and transmits
cellular signals.
The fluid mosaic model describes the plasma membrane structure as a mosaic of
phospholipids, cholesterol, proteins, and carbohydrates.
it is about 5 to 8 nm in thickness
the 7 functions of the plasma membrane?

 selective permeability - these processes can be passive or active.
 endocytosis or exocytosis.
 protection of the intracellular components, obviously.
 The receptors (aka complex proteins) on the surface assist in cell
recognition/binding and other intracellular processes.
 Cell signaling.
 Cell recognition.
 Cell adhesion.
The components of the plasma membrane
Component Location
Phospholipids Main fabric of the membrane
Tucked between the hydrophobic tails of the membrane
Cholesterol phospholipids
Embedded in the phospholipid bilayer; may or may not

Integral proteins extend through both layers
Peripheral On the inner or outer surface of the phospholipid bilayer,

proteins but not embedded in its hydrophobic core
Attached to proteins or lipids on the extracellular side of

Carbohydrates the membrane (forming glycoproteins and glycolipids)
The principal components of the plasma membrane are lipids (phospholipids
and cholesterol), proteins, and carbohydrate groups that are attached to some
of the lipids and proteins.
 A phospholipid is a lipid made of glycerol, two fatty acid tails, and a

phosphate-linked head group. Biological membranes usually involve
two layers of phospholipids with their tails pointing inward, an
arrangement called a phospholipid bilayer.
 Carbohydrate groups are present only on the outer surface of the

plasma membrane and are attached to proteins, forming glycoproteins,
or lipids, forming glycolipids.
The proportions of proteins, lipids, and carbohydrates in the plasma
membrane vary between different types of cells. For a typical human cell,
however, proteins account for about 50 percent of the composition by mass,
lipids (of all types) account for about 40 percent, and the remaining 10
percent comes from carbohydrates.
Phospholipids, arranged in a bilayer, make up the basic fabric of the plasma
membrane. They are well-suited for this role because they are amphipathic,
meaning that they have both hydrophilic and hydrophobic regions.
The hydrophilic, or “water-loving,” portion of a phospholipid is its head,

which contains a negatively charged phosphate group as well as an additional
small group (of varying identity, “R” in the diagram at left), which may also
or be charged or polar. The hydrophilic heads of phospholipids in a
membrane bilayer face outward, contacting the aqueous (watery) fluid both
inside and outside the cell. Since water is a polar molecule, it readily forms
electrostatic (charge-based) interactions with the phospholipid heads.
The hydrophobic, or “water-fearing,” part of a phospholipid consists of its
long, nonpolar fatty acid tails. The fatty acid tails can easily interact with
other nonpolar molecules, but they interact poorly with water. Because of
this, it’s more energetically favorable for the phospholipids to tuck their fatty
acid tails away in the interior of the membrane, where they are shielded from
the surrounding water. The phospholipid bilayer formed by these interactions
makes a good barrier between the interior and exterior of the cell, because
water and other polar or charged substances cannot easily cross the
hydrophobic core of the membrane.
Water can in fact cross the plasma membrane unassisted, but only at a very
low rate. (You can picture very rare water molecules sneaking across
between the tails of the phospholipids, occasionally getting away with this
maneuver because of their small size.) Protein channels called aquaporins,
which the cell can open and close as needed, are used for rapid transport of
water molecules across the plasma membrane.
Extracellular fluid (ECF) is the fluid that is not contained within the cells. ECF accounts for
around 33% of the body's total water content. Extracellular fluid is made up of interstitial fluid,
blood plasma, lymph, and transcellular fluid.

Plasma Membrane

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Plasma membrane is also referred to as the cell membrane.

Plasma Membrane Image

Plasma Membrane Functions

1)provides protection for a cell

2) provides a fixed environment inside the cell

3) has several different functions. One is to transport nutrients into the

4) have proteins on it which interact with other cells

5) proteins can be glycoprotein, meaning there's a sugar and a protein

7) provides some structural support for a cell

the 7 functions of the plasma membrane?

Embedded in the phospholipid bilayer; may or may not

Peripheral On the inner or outer surface of the phospholipid bilayer,

Attached to proteins or lipids on the extracellular side of

 A phospholipid is a lipid made of glycerol, two fatty acid tails, and a

 Carbohydrate groups are present only on the outer surface of the

The hydrophilic, or “water-loving,” portion of a phospholipid is its head,

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