Final answer:
The inner and outer leaflets of a typical plasma membrane look different. The outer leaflet often has more phospholipids with attached carbohydrates forming a glycocalyx, while the inner leaflet has different compositions that anchor to the cytoskeleton with proteins distributed unevenly between the leaflets.
Step-by-step explanation:
On a typical plasma membrane, both inner and outer leaflets look different due to the asymmetrical distribution of lipids, proteins, and carbohydrates. The plasma membrane is described by the fluid mosaic model.
This model reveals that the plasma membrane consists of a bilayer of phospholipids with hydrophilic (water-attracting) heads facing the aqueous environments both inside and outside the cell and hydrophobic (water-repelling) tails sandwiched in between.
The exterior leaflet, facing the extracellular environment, often has more phospholipids with attached carbohydrates, forming a glycocalyx that functions in cell recognition and protection.
Conversely, the interior leaflet has different phospholipids and proteins that anchor to the cell's cytoskeleton.
Integral proteins and peripheral proteins are distributed differently between the two leaflets contributing to the plasma membrane's functions such as cell-to-cell communication and selective permeability.