keep a civil tongue in one's head. Speak politely, as in The teacher won't allow swearing; she says we must keep a civil tongue in our heads. This expression uses tongue in the sense of a manner of speaking, a usage dating from the 1400s. An early cautionary version was Keep a good tongue in your head, lest it hurt your teeth (1595). See also: civil, head, keep, tongue. n. a civil servant.
Phospholipids serve a major function in the cells of all organisms: they form the phospholipid membranes that surround the cell and intracellular organelles such as the mitochondria. The cell membrane is a fluid, semi-permeable bilayer that separates the cell's contents from the environment, see animation below.hospholipids serve a major function in the cells of all organisms: they form the phospholipid membranes that surround the cell and intracellular organelles such as the mitochondria. The cell membrane is a fluid, semi-permeable bilayer that separates the cell's contents from the environment, see animation below.
The phospholipid bi-layer and associated proteins is called the fluid mosaic model of the membrane's structure. 'Fluid' because the positions of the constituents are always changing and 'mosaic' because the membrane is made from different types of molecules. Cholesterol Cholesterol helps to regulate the fluidity of the membrane.