What percentage of the cell membrane is lipid and protein?

The cell membranes are primarily composed of lipids (about 40%) & proteins (about 60%). Also have carbohydrates (1-10%)- present as glycolipids and glycoproteins. A cell membrane consists of 3 layers; a lipid bilayer coated on either side with a layer of protein. read more

Let's assume membrane lipid has an "average" molecular mass of 600 and membrane protein, an "average" of 60,000. Thus, a membrane containing equal weights of lipid and protein contains about 100 lipid molecule for every protein (essentially the ratio of their molecular weights)! That's a lot of lipid, relatively speaking. read more