A membrane protein that is permanently embedded within the phospholipid bilayer, often spanning the entire membrane. These proteins typically function as channels, carriers, or receptors.
From Latin 'integralis' meaning 'forming a whole' or 'essential', reflecting how these proteins are an integral, inseparable part of the membrane structure. The term became standard in cell biology in the 1960s-70s as membrane protein classification developed.
Integral proteins are like permanent residents of the membrane neighborhood! Unlike peripheral proteins that just visit, these proteins are so embedded in the lipid bilayer that you need detergents to remove them - they're literally part of the membrane's architecture.
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