Phospholipids make up the basic structure of a cell membrane.

A single phospholipid molecule

has two dierent ends: a head and a tail. The head end contains a phosphate group and is
hydrophilic. This means that it likes or is attracted to water molecules.The tail end is made up of two
strings of hydrogen and carbon atoms called fatty acid chains. These chains are hydrophobic, or do
not like to mingle with water molecules. Cholesterol molecules are important for maintaining the
consistency of the cell membrane. They strengthen the membrane by preventing some small
molecules from crossing it. Some plasma membrane proteins are located in the lipid bilayer and are
called integral proteins. Other proteins, called peripheral proteins, are outside of the lipid bilayer.
Membrane proteins can function as enzymes to speed up chemical reactions, act as receptors for
specific molecules, or transport materials across the cell membrane. Carbohydrates are sometimes
found attached to proteins or lipids on the outside of a cell membrane. Carbohydrates form the
glycocalyx.

Cells grown in culture will rapidly divide until a single layer of cells is spread over the area of the
petri dish, after which they will stop dividing. If cells are removed, those bordering the open space
will begin dividing again and continue to do so until the gap is filled - this is known as contact
inhibition. When a cell population reaches a certain density, the amount of required growth factors
and nutrients available to each cell becomes insucient to allow continued cell growth. Temperature
has a direct aect on the rate of metabolic processes. Too high and the cell cooks, too low and they
freeze. Biofilms are involved in quorum sensing, when cells are near enough to signal. Living in
biofilms makes it easier for cells to conjugate, or transfer genetic material, too. Cells in a biofilm will
produce those extracellular polysaccharide substances (EPSs) to include new cells from the outside
and other cells. If two solutions of dierent concentration are separated by a semi-permeable
membrane which is permeable to to the smaller solvent molecules but not to the larger solute
molecules, then the solvent will tend to diuse across the membrane from the less concentrated to
the more concentrated solution. This process is called osmosis. Osmosis is of great importance in
biological processes where the solvent is water. The transport of water and other molecules across
biological membranes is essential to many processes in living organisms. The energy which drives
the process is usually discussed in terms of osmotic pressure.

Structural and functional evidence supports the relatedness of all domains. Metabolic pathways
are conserved across all currently recognized domains. Structural evidence supports the relatedness
of all eukaryotes. Like the Cytoskeleton (a network of structural proteins that facilitate cell movement,
morphological integrity and organelle transport), Membrane-bound organelles (mitochondria and/or
chloroplasts), Linear chromosomes, Endomembrane systems, including the nuclear envelope.
Archaea and Bacteria generally lack internal membranes and organelles and have a cell wall.