Components and Parts of the Cell Membrane

Vocabulary flashcards covering the structure, properties, and components of the cell membrane based on the lecture transcript.

Cell membrane

A barrier, also known as the plasma membrane, that completely surrounds all cells, separates them from their environment, and regulates what gets in and out of the cell.

Semi permeable

A property of a membrane that allows some things to pass through while blocking others; also referred to as selectively permeable.

Phospholipids

Molecules that make up most of the cell membrane, each consisting of a phosphate head and two fatty acid tails.

Hydrophilic

A property meaning attracted to water, or literally "water loving," which characterizes the phosphate heads of phospholipids.

Hydrophobic

A property meaning repelling water, or literally "water fearing," which characterizes the fatty acid tails of phospholipids.

Phospholipid bilayer

A two-layered structure with hydrophobic tails facing inward toward each other and hydrophilic heads facing the watery external environment and the cytoplasm inside the cell.

Cholesterol

A component of the cell membrane that helps to stabilize the membrane and improve its ability to control what can pass through it.

Proteins

Membrane components that carry out many functions, with one of the most important being the transport of materials across the membrane.

Carbohydrates

Membrane components often involved in cell identification, such as creating blood types when attached to proteins to help identify self-cells and distinguish them from foreign invaders.