Population Statistics within the Arizona Department of Administration and does not necessarily reflect the official position of the U.S. Department of Labor. The Department of Labor makes no guarantees, warranties,
The Cell Membrane. The Structure of the Cell Membrane. The cell membrane (or plasma membrane) surrounds all living cells, and is the cell's most important organelle. It controls how substances can move in and out of the cell and is responsible for many other properties of the cell as well.
Lists of functions of a cell membrane (= plasma membrane) can include various numbers of functions because particles can move across the membrane in several different ways, including diffusion via ion channels, active transport via membrane pumps, endocytosis (into the cell) and exocytosis (out of the cell). The cell membrane forms a barrier between the inside of the cell and the environment outside the cell-enclosing cytoplasm and any organelles within the cell, and enabling different chemical environments to exist on each side of the cell membrane.