1. The cell membrane; the thin outer layer that surrounds and encloses the cytoplasm of a cell.
Usage: technical; biology; also called plasma membrane or cell membrane

Examples

• The plasmalemma controls what substances enter and exit the cell.
• Nutrients pass through the plasmalemma via active and passive transport.
• Damage to the plasmalemma can cause the cell to lose its structural integrity.
• The plasmalemma is composed primarily of a phospholipid bilayer with embedded proteins.
• Under the electron microscope, the plasmalemma appears as a thin, distinct boundary around the cell.