Cell membrane. Computer illustration showing the structure of a typical cell membrane. The cell membrane is an elastic structure that separates the inner compartments and substances of a cell (bottom) from the outer environment (top), and regulates the exchange of substances between the cell and the external space. The major components of all cell membranes are phospholipids (centre). Each phospholipid consists of a water-soluble (hydrophilic) head (yellow, round) and two hydrophobic tails (long, thin). This structure causes them to arrange themselves in a bilayer, with the water-soluble heads forming two hydrophilic surfaces on the outside, while the tails form a hydrophobic layer inside the bilayer. | |
Licence : | Droits gérés |
Crédit: | Science Photo Library / De Angelis, Maurizio |
Taille de l’image : | 4200 px × 4200 px |
Model Release : | Non requis |
Property Release : | Non requis |
Restrictions : | - |