The cytosolic surface of the erythrocyte plasma membrane is covered through a network of peripheral membrane proteins which make up the cytoskeleton in the figure. The major parts of this cytoskeleton are spectrum that folds into a triple-stranded -helical coiled coil to produce long chains. The spectrin chains are tell to the plasma membrane by interactions with two other peripheral proteins, protein and ankyrin band 4.1. Ankyrin produces a cross- link between spectrin and the cytosolic domain of the integral anion exchanger band 3 protein, though band 4.1 promotes the binding of actin filaments to the spectrin chains connecting them to the cytosolic domain of glycophorin. The cytoskeleton gives the erythrocyte plasma membrane great strength and flexibility and is significant in maintaining and altering the shape of the cell. In the other mammalian cells the cytoskeleton has similar functions but consists of numerous other proteins and criss-crosses by the cytoplasm.