Cell membrane
From the Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia that anyone can change
The cell membrane is a thin flexible barrier around cells of organisms.
[change] Function
The cell membrane controls the chemicals entering and leaving the cell. It lets good chemicals come into the cell, and lets bad chemicals go out of it.
[change] Structure
The membrane is made up of a thin film called the lipid bilayer. The lipid bilayer is two lipid molecules with polar heads and nonpolar tails facing away from each other. This prevents large molecules from entering, but still allows the small molecule of water to enter. The cell membrane can also be thought of as a skin or a window screen.
It also has proteins around or inside it. Some proteins are always fixed onto it, these are called integral membrane proteins. It also has some which are only partially fixed onto it. These are called peripheral membrane proteins.
