Question

Discuss the properties of plasma membrane that allow it to act as a barrier around the cell. Include the specifics of phospholipid bilayer.

Answer 1

The primary function of the plasma membrane is to protect the cell from its surroundings. Composed of aphospholipid bilayer with embedded proteins, the plasma membrane is selectively permeable to ions and organic molecules and regulates the movement of substances in and out ofcells.

Answer 2

Properties of the plasma membrane that allow it to act as a barrier around the cell and specifics of phospholipid bilayer are as follows:

• The cell membrane also named the plasma membrane, is established in all cells and segregates the interior of the cell from the outside atmosphere. The cell membrane incorporates a lipid bilayer that is semi-permeable in nature. The cell membrane governs the transport of materials arriving and exiting the cell.
• The fundamental ingredients of the plasma membrane are lipids (phospholipids and cholesterol), proteins, and carbohydrate fractions that are connected to some of the lipids and proteins.
• The plasma membrane is formulated primarily of phospholipids, which contain fatty acids and alcohol. The phospholipids in the plasma membrane are organized in two layers, named a phospholipid bilayer. Every phospholipid molecule possesses a head and two tails.
• The major purpose of the phospholipid bilayer is to permit the cell to be selectively permeable, indicating it only lets specific things in and out. The phospholipid bilayer prohibits large molecules or charged molecules like ions from diffusing immediately across the membrane without the use of a channel protein.