Membrane Structure and function

Cell Membrane Structure and Function

cell membrane

the insoluble boundary of all living cells that maintains the contents of the cell and regulates movement of substances into and out of the cell

selectively permeable

a quality of a membrane that means only certain kinds of molecules can pass through it

external environment

the environment surrounding a cell outside the cell membrane

bilayer

a double layer

vesicle

a small membrane bound sac found with the cytoplasm that sorts, transport or digests substances

phospholipid

a type of lipid that has a hydrophilic head end and a hydrophobic tail end

hydrophilic

tending to interact with and dissolve in water

hydrophobic

water avoiding

cholesterol

a type of lipid in cell membranes that maintains membrane fluidity

phytosterol

a type of plant-derived lipid compound that is similar to cholesterol in structure and function

channel protein

a protein that forms channels within membranes to allow substances to pass through the membrane

protein channel

a passageway formed across the membrane for the movement of specific substances

glycoprotein

a protein that is attached to a glycan

glycolipid

a lipid that is attached to a glycan