Cell Membrane and Homeostasis Concepts

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phospholipid

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form membranes; hydrophilic, polar phosphate head faces water; hydrophobic, nonpolar fatty acids face tail to tail

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lipid bilayer

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double layer of phospholipids arranged tail-to-tail; heads face outward

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plasma membrane

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the semipermeable membrane surrounding the cytoplasm of a cell; regulates what can and cannot pass into the cell; formed from lipid bilayer

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selectively permeable

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property of biological membranes that allows some substance to pass across it while other cannot

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solute

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substance that is dissolved in water

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solvent

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in a solution, the substance into which the solute dissolves; usually water

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concentration gradient

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difference in concentration

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Homeostasis

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relatively constant internal physical and chemical conditions that organisms maintain

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Fluid mosaic model

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the description of the arrangement and movement of the molecules (such as carbohydrates and proteins) that make up a cell membrane

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Passive transport

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the movement of substances across a cell membrane without the use of energy by the cell