plasma membranes
Cellular outer envelopes
Plasma membranes are the thin outer boundaries of cells, separating the interior from the surrounding environment.
These flexible, selectively permeable barriers control what enters and exits—allowing nutrients in while keeping harmful substances out.
The term is nearly synonymous with cell membrane, though plasma membrane emphasizes the membrane's role at the cell's outer surface rather than around internal structures.
- thinSmall in diameter
- skinBody's outer layer
- phospholipidsLipids with phosphate groups
- proteinsAmino acid polymers
- receptorsProteins binding specific molecules
outer boundary · receptor sites · carbohydrates · aquaporins · homeostasis · glycoproteins · cells · layer · cholesterol · ghosts · endocytosis · fluid mosaic model · cytoskeleton · energy conversion · flex · pore · fuse · osmosis
plasma membranescell walls
Rigid outer layer of plant, fungal, and bacterial units
plasma membranesnuclear envelope
Barrier enclosing chromosomes
nuclear membrane · endomembrane system · cytoplasm · nucleus · nucleoid
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