The plasma membrane separates what is inside the cell and what is outside. It controls what enters and exits to help the cell maintain a steady internal environment.
There are many complex structures that make this what it is.
The phospholopids make up the cell membrane. The are made of two major parts: the head and the tail. The head is the polar/hygrophillic phosphate groups. The tail shows the nonpolar/hydrophobic fatty acid chains of phosphate. The heads of the phospholipid face where the water is found, to the inside and the outside of the cell. The phospholipid tails face towards each other in between the heads.
A glycolipid is a lipid that has sugar attached to it. This serves as a marker for cell recognition and provides energy.
Cholesterol helps by stiffening and making the membrane stronger. This helps control the fluidity.
Proteins!
There are many different kinds of proteins.
Channel proteins assist with the passage of different molecules through the membrane. They contain a channel that allows molecules to simply move from one place to another.
Carrier proteins also help with moving things across the membrane. They combined themselves with a substance and assist it in moving across the membrane. By transporting potassium and sodium ions across the cell membrane of a nerve it makes nerve conduction possible.
Cell recognition proteins are glycoproteins. These help the body in recognizing when it is being invaded by pathogens(a disease-causing agent) so it can react with an immune reaction. If we didn't have these pathogens would be able to invade our body without restrictions.
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