Monday, November 8, 2010

Cell Membrane


The cell membrane!  It plays a huge role in any cell and helps to maintain it.  Much of the cell is made up of something that looks like a ball with two strings attached to it.  The two strings are fatty acyl tails and the ball is a hydrophobic polar head.  This is called the hydrophobic core.  Next you have proteins that run through the hydrophilic core.  These proteins vary in what functions they do.  A integral protein act as a receptor.  A glycoprotein helps to stabilize it.  A peripheral protein is used to protect the membrane.  In addition, different sugar groups lay on the outer layer of the membrane and also lay on the proteins.  Here below is a picture of a cell membrane!