The Fluid Mosaic Model is the currently accepted model to illustrate the behavior of proteins and lipids in the

cells plasma membrane. This model is a revised version of Daniellis sandwich model. His model was flawed because the placement of the proteins didnt allow the membrane to be semipermeable. Evidence such as TEM photos support the accuracy of the Fluid Mosaic membrane in cell studies. What makes the membrane fluid are its phospholipids which are amphipathic, meaning it has hydrophobic and hydrophilic regions. These lipid molecules have mostly unsaturated hydrocarbon tails which enhance the fluidity of them and lowers the temperature it solidifies at. Hydrophobic interactions keep the molecules together in the membrane. These bonds arent very strong which allows the molecules to move; however, their movement is only lateral. Adjacent phospholipids can switch their positions about 10^7 times per second. An important component of animal cell membranes is cholesterol; this steroid is located in between lipid molecules at the membrane. It is often referred to as a temperature buffer because at warmer temperatures, it restrains movement of the lipids, and also restrains the solidifying of lipids. Plants have an adaptation in their cell membranes to increase their percentage of unsaturated phospholipids to help them survive winter. This model also focuses on the embedded proteins bobbing in the fluid bilayer of phospholipids. The placements of these proteins are made to be compatible with their amphipathic character. They carry out vital functions such as transport, enzymatic activity, signal transduction, cell-to-cell recognition, intercellular joining, and attachment of microfilaments to the cytoskeleton to help maintain the cells shape. There are two major proteins in the plasma membrane: integral and peripheral. Integral proteins are within the hydrophobic core of the bilayer and often span the membrane (transmembrane proteins). These proteins are often coiled into alpha-helixes and are exposed to the aqueous solutions on either side of the membrane. Peripheral proteins are loosely bound to the surface of the membrane. Other parts included in the current model of the membrane are glycoproteins and glycolipids. These help with the distinguishing of cells. For example, the different blood types for humans reflect variation in the carbohydrates on the surface of the red blood cells membrane.