The plasma membrane

Fluidity

  • Bilayer lipids are synthesised in the ER, the cytosolic side
  • Therefore need to move some newly formed lipids to other side
  • Spontaneous movement from one side of the monolayer (leaflet) to the other (FLIP FLOP) is restricted
  • Phospholipid translocators place cytosolically made lipids on the extracellular leaflet during synthesis
  • Scramblases and flippases mediate phospholipid movement
  • Fluidity depends on composition

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