cell membrane
noun
plural cell membranes
: a membrane of a cell
especially
: a semipermeable limiting layer of cell protoplasm consisting of a fluid phospholipid bilayer with intercalated proteins : plasma membrane
Despite being much maligned in the popular press, cholesterol plays a crucial role in organizing cell membranes and controlling their physical properties. —
Amanda Yarnell
Amanda Yarnell … a cascade of reactions culminating in the transfer of a phosphate group to a protein complex that carries ions across the cell membrane. —Science News
Science News Examples of cell membrane in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Magnesium helps your body maintain adequate potassium levels and also moves potassium across cell membranes.
—Brittany Lubeck, Verywell Health, 10 Feb. 2026
Too little oxygen, and phosphorus bonds with iron and is dragged into the core, depriving the surface of a key ingredient for DNA, cell membranes and energy transfer.
—Samantha Mathewson, Space.com, 10 Feb. 2026
The torpor phase enables the squirrel to suppress activity within ion channels, reduce the release of glutamate and stabilize its cell membranes.
—Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 24 Jan. 2026
Other methods, such as microinjection or temporarily opening the cell membrane, work well for delivering molecules, but they have not been used to place solid, free-standing structures directly inside the cell.
—Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 18 Jan. 2026
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Brittany Lubeck, Verywell Health, 10 Feb. 2026
Too little oxygen, and phosphorus bonds with iron and is dragged into the core, depriving the surface of a key ingredient for DNA, cell membranes and energy transfer.
—Samantha Mathewson, Space.com, 10 Feb. 2026
The torpor phase enables the squirrel to suppress activity within ion channels, reduce the release of glutamate and stabilize its cell membranes.
—Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 24 Jan. 2026
Other methods, such as microinjection or temporarily opening the cell membrane, work well for delivering molecules, but they have not been used to place solid, free-standing structures directly inside the cell.
—Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 18 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for cell membrane
Cite this Entry
“Cell membrane.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cell%20membrane. Accessed 19 Feb. 2026.
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