Journal of Membrane Science & Technology

Mechanism of Plasma Membrane and its Function

Matthew Kostow^* Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, USA
^*Correspondence: Matthew Kostow, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, USA, Email:

Received: 03-Nov-2022, Manuscript No. JMST-22-19271; Editor assigned: 07-Nov-2022, Pre QC No. JMST-22-19271 (PQ); Reviewed: 21-Nov-2022, QC No. JMST-22-19271; Revised: 28-Nov-2022, Manuscript No. JMST-22-19271 (R); Published: 08-Dec-2022, DOI: 10.35248/2155-9589.22.12.308

Description

The Cell Membrane (CM) is also called as the Plasma Membrane (PM), Cytoplasmic Membrane (CM), or plasmalemma is a Biological Membrane (BM) that separates and protects the inside of all cells from the external environment (the extracellular space). The cell membrane is a lipid bilayer consisting of two layers of phospholipids with cholesterols (a lipid component) interspersed between them, which maintains appropriate membrane permeability at different temperatures. Membranes is also contain membrane proteins, which include essential proteins that encompass the membrane and act as membrane transporters, as well as peripheral proteins that broadly connect to the cell membrane's external (peripheral) side and act as enzymes to facilitate interaction with the cell's environment. Glycolipids located in the outer lipid layer perform a similar function.

The cell membrane, which is selectively permeable to both ions and organic molecules, controls the movement of compounds into and out of organelles and cells. Furthermore, cell membranes participate in a wide range of cellular functions such as cell adhesion, ion conductivity, and cell signaling, as well as providing as the connection surface for several extracellular structures such as the cell wall and the glycocalyx, as well as the intracellular network of protein fibers is known as the cytoskeleton. Cell membranes can be artificially reassembled in the field of synthetic biology. The plasma membrane is also known as the cell membrane, and protects the cell.

It is also provides a stable environment inside the cell and that membrane has several functions. One function is to transport protein into the cell, while the other is to transport toxic substances out of the cell. Another difference is that the cell's membrane, which is the plasma membrane, contains proteins that interact with other cells. These proteins can be glycoproteins, which have a sugar and a protein moiety, or lipid proteins, which contain a fat and a protein and the proteins that stick outside the plasma membrane allow one cell to communicate with another cell. The membrane protein also provides some stable strength for a cell and different types of plasma membranes occur in different types of cells, and the plasma membrane contains a lot of cholesterol as a lipid component. This is differentiated from other membranes within the cell.

Structure of plasma membrane

A plasma membrane is 5 to 8 nm thick and mainly composed of carbohydrates, phospholipids, proteins, and conjugated molecules. The plasma membrane is a lipid bilayer that surrounds and contains the cell's cytoplasm it is also known as the fluid mosaic model due to the arrangement of molecules and the presence of certain specialized components. The fluid mosaic model focuses on the plasma membrane structure in eukaryotic cells, as well as how effectively it is arranged with its constituent elements: Phospholipids, proteins, carbohydrates, and cholesterol.

Functions of plasma membrane

The plasma membrane provides as a physical barrier between the external environment and the organs within the cell. The plasma membrane is a selectively permeable membrane that allows only certain molecules to enter and leave the cell. Plasma membranes are essential in both endocytosis and exocytosis techniques. The plasma membrane is also performs a function by facilitating cell communication and signaling. The plasma membrane is essential for stabilizing the cytoskeleton, providing structure to the cell, and maintaining cell potential.