Question | Answer |
What are some cell functions? | covering, lining, storage, movement, connection, defense, communication, reproduction. |
Plasma membrane | forms the outer, limiting barrier separating the internal contents of the cell from external materials. |
cytoplasm | general term for all cellular contents between the plasma membrane and the nucleus. Made of cytosol, organelles, and inclusions |
nucleus | the control center of the cell. |
plasma membrane | cell membrane that forms the thin outer border of the cell |
plasmalemma | the plasma membrane is a flexible layer that separates the internal components of a cell from the external environment and extracellular materials |
extracellular fluid | interstitial fluid in the external environment of the cell |
lipids | fats, oils, and steroids that are insoluble in water. the three types in the plasma membrane are phospholipids, cholesterol, and gylcolipids. |
phospholipids | contain both water-soluble and water-insoluble regions as well as the element phosphate. phospholipids are most of the plasma membrane lipids |
cholesterol | a steroid found in 20% of the membrane lipids. scattered in hydrophobic regions of the phospholipid bilayer, where it strengthens the membrane and stabilizes it at temperature extremes |
What are some general functions of the plasma membrane? | communication, intercellular connection, physical barrier, selective permeability. |
What are some protein-specific functions of the plasma membrane? | transport, intercellular attachment, anchorage for the cytoskeleton, enzyme (catalytic) activity, cell-cell recognition, signal transduction. |
What are some factors that influence membrane permeability of transport across the plasma membrane? | transport proteins, plasma membrane structure, concentration gradient, ionic charge, lipid solubility, molecular size |