describe the structure of a generalized plasma membrane . Include the major components (lipids,proteins,glycolipids, polysaccharides).Describe transport mechanisms by...

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describe the structure of a generalized plasmamembrane . Include the major components(lipids,proteins,glycolipids, polysaccharides).Describe transportmechanisms by which materials move into and out cells.

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Answer Plasma membrane Plasma membrane is a dynamic quasi fluid structure and forms the external boundary of the cells It acts as a selectively permeable membrane and regulates the molecular traffic across the cell boundary Chemical constituents Composition of the Plasma membrane All plasma membranes regardless of their source are made of proteins and lipids The ratio of protein to lipid varies enormously depending on the cell types As an example the plasma membrane of human RBC contains 43 lipid and 49 protein by weight whereas plasma membrane of mouse liver cells contains 54 lipid and 46 protein by weight Carbohydrates are also present in the plasma membrane and comprise only 510 of the total membrane mass Carbohydrates are bound either to proteins as constituents of glycoproteins or to lipids as constituents of glycolipids Carbohydrates are especially abundant in the plasma membranes of eukaryotic cells General structure of the plasma membrane Different models were proposed to explain the structure of the plasma membrane however the most accepted one is the Fluid Mosaic Model as proposed by Jonathan Singer and Garth Nicolson in 1972 In this model membranes are viewed as quasifluid like structures in which proteins are See Answer

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