BRAINCAKETransport Across the Cell Membrane
The cell surface membrane is partially permeable: it lets some substances through but not others. How a substance crosses depends on its size, charge and whether it is soluble in lipids.
The membrane is a phospholipid bilayer, with proteins, cholesterol and glycoproteins in it (the fluid mosaic model). The fatty acid tails form a hydrophobic core in the middle of the membrane.
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Key terms in this lesson
- fluid mosaic model
- The model describing the cell surface membrane as a phospholipid bilayer with proteins that can move freely within it.
More in Cell Transport Mechanisms
- The Need for Transport
- Passive and Active Transport
- Diffusion
- Facilitated Diffusion
- Water Potential ψ
- Osmosis
- Modelling Osmosis
- Osmotic Concentrations
All 18 lessons in Cell Transport Mechanisms · All Edexcel AS-level Biology topics