BRAINCAKEFluid Mosaic Model
The arrangement of the components of the plasma membrane is known as the fluid mosaic model.
The membrane is fluid and flexible. The phospholipid moelcules can move relative to one another and the membrane can change its shape.
The membrane has the appearance of a mosaic pattern. The proteins embedded in the membrane vary in shape, size and position.
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Key terms in this lesson
- phospholipid bilayer
- Two layers of phospholipid molecules arranged with hydrophilic heads facing outwards and hydrophobic tails facing inwards, forming the basic structure of cell membranes.
More in Plasma Membrane
- Membrane Structure
- Membrane Proteins
- Glycoproteins
- Glycolipids
- Extrinsic Proteins
- Cholesterol
- Sites of Chemical Reactions
- Effect of Temperature
All 18 lessons in Plasma Membrane · All OCR AS-level Biology topics