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adrianmyh adrianmyh
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8 years ago
How does a membrane create a semi-impermeable barrier separating the inside and outside of the cell?
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wrote...
8 years ago
This is achieved by the chemical properties of the phospholypids that form a major part of the membrane. Phospholypids have an hydrophilic head of glycerol or another related compound and an hydrophobic tail of hydrocarbon. The external environment and the inner containt of a cell are hydrophilics, so the phospholypids tend to form a characteristic double bilayer with the hydrophilic heads facing the hydrophilic content of the cell and the environment, and the hydrophobic tails protected inside.

Then we have an hydrophobic barrier between 2 hydrophilic compartments. This makes the semipermeable barrier, preventing the simple diffusion of hydrophilic molecules (except the small ones like water) and charged molecules.
adrianmyh Author
wrote...
8 years ago
Thanks for helping!
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