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.