Summary of Components and Structure of the Plasma Membrane
We refer to the modern understanding of the plasma membrane as the fluid mosaic model. The plasma membrane is composed of a bilayer of phospholipids, with their hydrophobic, fatty acid tails in contact with each other. The landscape of the membrane is studded with proteins, some of which span the membrane. Some of these proteins serve to transport materials into or out of the cell.
Carbohydrates are attached to some of the proteins and lipids on the outward-facing surface of the membrane, forming complexes that function to identify the cell to other cells. The fluid nature of the membrane is due to temperature, the configuration of the fatty acid tails (some kinked by double bonds), the presence of cholesterol embedded in the membrane, and the mosaic nature of the proteins and protein-carbohydrate combinations, which are not firmly fixed in place. Plasma membranes enclose and define the borders of cells, but rather than being a static bag, they are dynamic and constantly in flux.
Glossary of Words
Amphiphilic
molecule possessing a polar or charged area and a nonpolar or uncharged area capable of interacting with both hydrophilic and hydrophobic environments
Fluid mosaic model
describes the structure of the plasma membrane as a mosaic of components including phospholipids, cholesterol, proteins, glycoproteins, and glycolipids (sugar chains attached to proteins or lipids, respectively), resulting in a fluid character (fluidity)
Glycolipid
combination of carbohydrates and lipids
Glycoprotein
combination of carbohydrates and proteins
Hydrophilic
molecule with the ability to bond with water; “water-loving”
Hydrophobic
molecule that does not have the ability to bond with water; “water-hating”
Integral protein
protein integrated into the membrane structure that interacts extensively with the hydrocarbon chains of membrane lipids and often spans the membrane; these proteins can be removed only by the disruption of the membrane by detergents
Peripheral protein
protein found at the surface of a plasma membrane either on its exterior or interior side; these proteins can be removed (washed off of the membrane) by a high-salt wash