what is a cell membrane?

Answer 1

Cell membrane is made up of two layers which mostly fat called phospholipids. These fats embed proteins which can be internal (which goes through both membranes) or surface proteins. Depending on the cell these proteins have the ability to open up as channels or they can change shap and take a molecule inside a cell (cool ha?!) These proteins also have water liking and water fearing sides so that they can maintain their shape and function. on the external side of the cell there are sugars attached to the cell membrane which can either attach to a protein or a phospholipid. They are called glycophosproteins and glycophosphates respectively!

Answer 2

The cell membrane protects the cell and controls what goes in and out of the cell. Both animal and plant cells have this but what animals don't have and plant cells do have is a cell wall. Thsi is an extra barrier that helps the cell membrane.

Answer 3

a cell membrane is a selectively permeable phospholipid bilayer which acts as an outer barrier for cells.... it allows certain things to enter and exit the cell(selectively permeable). Found on both plant and animal cells, but unlike the animal cell the plant cell has an extra layer, a cell wall. The cell membrane has a fluid mosaic structure which means that it isnt held rigidly in place allowing it to move similar to a fluid..... it has cholesterol molecules which give enough structure to the fluid mosaic make-up so that it doesnt fall apart..... it has proteins embedded in it that allow things that arent lipid soluble to pass through.... they are straw-like proteins and are actually called protein channels..

also known as a plasma membrane


hope this helps...

Answer 4

a membrane is a thin film, like saran wrap, or the stuff a plastic bags are made of.

Your skin is a membrane.

The membrane of a cell can be thought of as the "skin" of the cell.

In addition to holding the cell together and keeping the parts of the cell apart, membranes are usually selectively permiable, allowing nutrients and other chemicals to pass through.

Answer 5

The cell is highly organized with many functional units or organelles. Most of these units are limited by one or more membranes. To perform the function of the organelle, the membrane is specialized in that it contains specific proteins and lipid components that enable it to perform its unique roles for that cell or organelle. In essence membranes are essential for the integrity and function of the cell.

Membrane components may:
be protective
regulate transport in and out of cell or subcellular domain
allow selective receptivity and signal transduction by providing transmembrane receptors that bind signaling molecules
allow cell recognition
provide anchoring sites for cytoskeletal filaments or components of the extracellular matrix. This allows the cell to maintain its shape and perhaps move to distant sites.
help compartmentalize subcellular domains or microdomains
provide a stable site for the binding and catalysis of enzymes.
regulate the fusion of the membrane with other membranes in the cell via specialized junctions )
provide a passageway across the membrane for certain molecules, such as in gap junctions.
allow directed cell or organelle motility

Answer 6

The cell membrane is the thin, nearly-invisible structure that surrounds the cytoplasm of the cell.

Answer 7

a cell membrane is a layer of a cell that allow the moving of liquid particles in and out of the cell and disallowed the moving of big particles.

Answer 8

It's the outer layer or "skin" of a cell - holding the cell together.

Answer 9

a phospholipid bilayer that has liquid properities and proteins embedded into it...it holds the cell together and is selectively permeable