The fluid mosaic model, membrane components, and diffusion, osmosis, active transport, endocytosis and exocytosis.
The fluid mosaic model
The membrane is a phospholipid bilayer with hydrophilic heads facing the watery surroundings and hydrophobic tails inward. Proteins are embedded in a "mosaic" and the whole structure is "fluid" — phospholipids move laterally.
Components and roles:
Phospholipids — form the bilayer barrier to water-soluble substances.
Cholesterol — fits between phospholipids, regulating fluidity and stability (less fluid at high temperature, prevents stiffening at low temperature).
Intrinsic (integral) proteins — channel and carrier proteins for transport.
Glycoproteins / glycolipids — cell recognition, receptors, antigens.
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