Plasmalemma
Plasmalemma
Plasmalemma (pronounced: plaz-muh-lem-uh) is a term used in cell biology to refer to the cell membrane, the semi-permeable barrier that surrounds the cytoplasm of a cell.
Etymology
The term "plasmalemma" is derived from the Greek words "plasma", meaning something formed or molded, and "lemma", meaning husk or shell. It was first used in the late 19th century to describe the outer layer of a cell.
Definition
The plasmalemma, also known as the cell membrane, is a thin, flexible barrier that separates the interior of all cells from the outside environment. It is composed of a lipid bilayer, which includes phospholipids, cholesterol, and proteins. The primary function of the plasmalemma is to protect the cell from its surroundings and regulate the movement of substances in and out of cells.
Related Terms
- Cytoplasm: The material within a living cell, excluding the cell nucleus. It comprises cytosol and the organelles – the cell's internal sub-structures.
- Phospholipid: A class of lipids that are a major component of all cell membranes as they can form lipid bilayers.
- Cholesterol: A type of lipid molecule that is biosynthesized by all animal cells and is an essential structural component of animal cell membranes.
- Protein: Large biomolecules and macromolecules that comprise one or more long chains of amino acid residues. Proteins perform a vast array of functions within organisms, including catalyzing metabolic reactions, DNA replication, responding to stimuli, providing structure to cells and organisms, and transporting molecules from one location to another.
See Also
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Plasmalemma
- Wikipedia's article - Plasmalemma
This WikiMD article is a stub. You can help make it a full article.
Languages: - East Asian
中文,
日本,
한국어,
South Asian
हिन्दी,
Urdu,
বাংলা,
తెలుగు,
தமிழ்,
ಕನ್ನಡ,
Southeast Asian
Indonesian,
Vietnamese,
Thai,
မြန်မာဘာသာ,
European
español,
Deutsch,
français,
русский,
português do Brasil,
Italian,
polski