The fluid mosaic model of cell membranes can be summarised and understood in the following points.

1. Biological Membranes are very small (7-10nm). At this size it is very hard to see the exact structure, even with an electron microscope. We therefore do not know for sure exactly what is going on, however, the Fluid Mosaic Model is generally accepted as describing how membranes are arranged.

2. The Fluid Mosaic Model states that membranes are composed of a phospholipid bilayer with various protein molecules floating around within it. The "fluid" part represents how some parts of the membrane can move around freely, if they are not attached to other parts of the cell. The "mosaic" part illustrates the "patchwork" of proteins that is found in the phospholipid bilayer.

3. Some proteins in the membrane are called "Intrinsic". This means that they completely span the bilayer. Others are called "Extrinsic" - they are partly embedded in the bilayer.