Definition for Elasticity of cell membranes
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A cell membrane defines a boundary between the living cell and its environment. It consists of lipids, proteins, carbohydrates etc. Lipids and proteins are dominant components of membranes. One of the principal types of lipids in membranes is phospholipid. A phospholipid molecule has a polar hydrophilic head group and two hydrophobic hydrocarbon tails. When a quantity of lipid molecules disperse in water, they will assemble themselves into a bilayer in which the hydrophilic heads shield the hydrophobic tails from the water surroundings because of the hydrophobic forces.
