Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Fluid Mosaic Model

Fluid Mosaic Model

Scientists identified the plasma membrane in the 1890s and its principal chemical components (lipids and proteins) by 1915. The model for plasma membrane structure, proposed in 1935 by Hugh Davson and James Danielli, was the first model to be widely accepted in the scientific community. The model was based on the plasma membrane's "railroad track" appearance in early electron micrographs. Davson and Danielli theorized that the plasma membrane's structure resembled a sandwich with the analogy of...

Asymmetric Lipid Bilayer

Asymmetric Lipid Bilayer

Biological membranes show uneven distribution of different types of lipids in the inner and outer layers, resulting in transverse asymmetric membranes. The treatment of the erythrocyte membrane with the enzyme phospholipase confirmed the asymmetric nature of the lipid bilayer. The enzyme hydrolyzes lipids into fatty acids and hydrophilic groups. The phospholipase acts only on the outer layer of the membrane, while the inner layer remains intact. The phospholipase treatment resulted in 80%...

Membrane Fluidity

Membrane Fluidity

Membrane fluidity is explained by the fluid mosaic model of the cell membrane, which describes the plasma membrane structure as a mosaic of components—including phospholipids, cholesterol, proteins, and carbohydrates—that gives the membrane a fluid character.
Mosaic nature of the membrane
The mosaic characteristic of the membrane helps the plasma membrane remain fluid. The integral proteins and lipids exist as separate but loosely-attached molecules in the membrane. The membrane is a relatively...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Ionic strength dependence of localized contact formation between membranes: nonlinear theory and experiment.

Biophysical journal·1999

Same author

Influence of polymer concentration and molecular weight and of enzymic glycocalyx modification on erythrocyte interaction in dextran solutions.

European biophysics journal : EBJ·1993

Same author

Predictability of human EEG: a dynamical approach.

Biological cybernetics·1991

Same author

Membrane-membrane contact: involvement of interfacial instability in the generation of discrete contacts.

Bioscience reports·1989

Same author

Interfacial instability at cell membranes.

Progress in biophysics and molecular biology·1986

Same author

Membrane stability and dynamics of cell shape.

Biomedica biochimica acta·1985

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 19, 2026

Realistic Membrane Modeling Using Complex Lipid Mixtures in Simulation Studies

Realistic Membrane Modeling Using Complex Lipid Mixtures in Simulation Studies

Published on: September 1, 2023

Repulsive stabilization in black lipid membranes. A hydrodynamic model.

¹Service de Chimie Physique II, Universite Libre de Bruxelles CP 231, 1050 Brussels, Belgium.

Biophysical Chemistry

|October 1, 1983

Summary

This study analyzes black lipid membrane stability using hydrodynamic models. Repulsive forces stabilize membrane thickness variations, while asymmetry couples vibration modes, shifting stability curves.

More Related Videos

Automated Lipid Bilayer Membrane Formation Using a Polydimethylsiloxane Thin Film

Automated Lipid Bilayer Membrane Formation Using a Polydimethylsiloxane Thin Film

Published on: July 10, 2016

Spontaneous Formation and Rearrangement of Artificial Lipid Nanotube Networks as a Bottom-Up Model for Endoplasmic Reticulum

Spontaneous Formation and Rearrangement of Artificial Lipid Nanotube Networks as a Bottom-Up Model for Endoplasmic Reticulum

Published on: January 22, 2019

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jul 19, 2026

Realistic Membrane Modeling Using Complex Lipid Mixtures in Simulation Studies

Realistic Membrane Modeling Using Complex Lipid Mixtures in Simulation Studies

Published on: September 1, 2023

Automated Lipid Bilayer Membrane Formation Using a Polydimethylsiloxane Thin Film

Automated Lipid Bilayer Membrane Formation Using a Polydimethylsiloxane Thin Film

Published on: July 10, 2016

Spontaneous Formation and Rearrangement of Artificial Lipid Nanotube Networks as a Bottom-Up Model for Endoplasmic Reticulum

Spontaneous Formation and Rearrangement of Artificial Lipid Nanotube Networks as a Bottom-Up Model for Endoplasmic Reticulum

Published on: January 22, 2019

Area of Science:

Biophysics
Fluid Dynamics
Materials Science

Background:

Black lipid membranes (BLMs) are crucial in biological systems and biomimetic research.
Understanding BLM stability is key to their function and application.
Hydrodynamic and intermolecular forces govern BLM behavior.

Purpose of the Study:

To perform a linear stability analysis of black lipid membranes.
To model the interplay of attractive and repulsive forces on membrane dynamics.
To investigate the influence of symmetry on membrane vibration modes.

Main Methods:

Developed a hydrodynamic model for a viscous hydrocarbon film between aqueous phases.
Incorporated van der Waals, electrical, and steric forces into fluid motion equations.
Described steric repulsion using an exponentially decaying potential for thin films.

Main Results:

Identified two vibration modes: bending (in-phase surfaces) and squeezing (out-of-phase surfaces).
Found that repulsive interactions stabilize the squeezing mode in symmetrical films.
Demonstrated that asymmetry couples modes and shifts stability to shorter wavelengths.

Conclusions:

Repulsive forces are critical for stabilizing BLM thickness variations.
Film symmetry significantly impacts the coupling of bending and squeezing modes.
Asymmetry in BLMs can lead to altered stability characteristics.