Table 1.

Amounts of Protein, Lipid and Carbohydrate in Different Biological Membranes (Approximate Percentage of Dry Weight)

Membranes

Protein

Lipid

Carbohydrate

Plasma membranes:

red blood cells 

liver cells

amoeba

myelin

 

49

54

54

18

 

43

36

42

79

 

8

10

4

3

Nuclear envelope

66

32

2

Endoplasmic reticulum

62

27

10

Golgi complex

64

26

10

Mitochondrion

outer membrane

inner membrane

 

55

78

 

45

22



trace

---

Chloroplast inner membrane

70

30

---

Sources: Guidotti, G. 1972 An. Rev. Biochem. and Lotan, R. and Nicholson, G.L. in Advanced Cell Biology ed. by L.M. Schwartz and M.M. Azar. Van Nostrand (New York; 1981).