Plasmalemma
/ˌplæz.məˈlɛm.ə/noun
The cell membrane, especially the plasma membrane surrounding a cell.
Did you know?Plasmalemma is a modern scientific coinage from Greek roots, combining plasma (“something formed or molded”) and lemma (“a husk, rind, or peel”), so the word literally frames the cell membrane as a kind of living outer skin.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
plásma
“Something molded or formed; a shape or thing made by shaping”
Ancient Greek
Greek
lêmma
“A thing taken or received; later, a husk, rind, or peel”
Late 19th Century
English
plasmalemma
“A term coined in biology for the cell’s outer membrane”
Modern English
English
plasmalemma
“The cell membrane, especially the plasma membrane surrounding a cell”