Concept explainers
To determine: The four basic functions of the cell membrane.
Introduction: Cells are the basic functional units of life. A single cell has the potential to carry out all the important processes for supporting life. Human is a multicellular organism. Every cell present in the human body contains cell membrane and different cell organelles.
Explanation of Solution
Cells form the structural and functional part of the human body. The human body can be separated into two fluid portions if all the cells of the body are considered as one component. One portion is extracellular fluid (ECF), which is present outside the cell, and the other is intracellular fluid (ICF), which is present inside the cell. The membrane surrounding a cell which separates it from the extracellular fluid is known as the cell membrane. It is made up of proteins and the lipids.
The four basic functions of the cell membrane are as follows:
- Cell membrane helps to prevent mixing of intercellular and extracellular material. The cell membrane forms a wall between the ECF and ICF.
- The cell membrane also helps in regulating the movement of material in and out of the cell. The cell membrane allows only certain ions or nutrients to enter into the cell or leave the cell as waste.
- Information is transferred with the help of proteins present in the cell membrane.
- The proteins present in the cell membrane supports the cytoskeleton in maintaining the shape of the cell.
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Mastering A&P with Pearson eText - Standalone Access Card - for Human Physiology: An Integrated Approach (8th Edition)
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