6.0 Conclusion: The Plasma Membrane in Health and Disease

The plasma membrane is a complex and highly functional organelle whose components are integral to nearly all aspects of cell physiology. It is a fluid, dynamic interface that simultaneously protects the cell, manages all molecular traffic, receives and interprets environmental signals, and maintains structural form. This review has highlighted how defects in its core components are central to a diverse spectrum of human diseases. Pathologies arising from faulty transport proteins (Cystinuria, multidrug resistance), dysfunctional signaling receptors (Graves disease, cholera), or compromised structural anchors (Hereditary Spherocytosis) demonstrate the profound clinical relevance of this cellular structure. A continued and deeper understanding of plasma membrane biology is therefore essential for the development of future clinical diagnostics and more effective therapeutic interventions.