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QUESTION

What are the three major biological molecules that make up the cell membrane and what are their functions?

Proteins, lipids and carbohydrates.

PROTEINS have the following functions:

  1. structural function (serving as the membrane exoskeleton together with lipids)
  2. transport function (they help transporting elements from one side of the membrane to the other)
  3. signalling function (depending on which proteins the cell has in its membrane it is perceived differently by other cells and microorganisms).

LIPIDS have a structural function : both phospholipids and cholesterol, constituting the roof the membrane and regulating how fluid it is.

CARBOHYDRATES that are attatched to both lipids and proteins have signalling function , and they are only on the external side of the membrane

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