cell surface membrane
nounUK /sɛl ˈsɜːfɪs ˈmɛmbreɪn/
US /sɛl ˈsɜːrfɪs ˈmɛmbreɪn/
The thin outer layer of a cell that keeps the inside safe and controls what goes in and out.
The cell surface membrane lets water pass through but keeps harmful things out.
RELATED WORDS
OTHER MEANINGS
2. The selectively permeable barrier that separates a cell's interior from its environment.
Scientists studied how proteins are arranged within the cell surface membrane.
3. A biological boundary involved in signaling and cell recognition.
Receptors on the cell surface membrane detect chemical messages from other cells.
4. The membrane surrounding a cell that helps maintain its shape and structure.
Damage to the cell surface membrane can cause the cell to lose its contents.