The Chemical Organization of the Plasma Membrane of Animal Cells

Abstract

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on the chemical organization of the plasma membrane, particularly that of the animal cell. Knowledge of this organization comes from many fields of study, especially measurement of cell permeability, antigenic studies of the cell surface, work on the electro-kinetic properties of the cell, and electron microscopy. The plasma membrane of animal cells consists largely of protein and lipid with a small carbohydrate component, the proportion of each fraction varying not only between species, but also between preparations by different methods of membranes of the cells of the same species. A prerequisite of the direct chemical analysis of the plasma membrane is its isolation in a pure state, ideally as a preparation lacking none of the components of the membrane and free of nonmembrane contaminants. The chapter discusses the methods for the isolation of the membrane, the supramolecular organization of the membrane, and electron microscopy of the membrane.