Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 21, 2026
10:08
Phase Behavior of Charged Vesicles Under Symmetric and Asymmetric Solution Conditions Monitored with Fluorescence Microscopy
Published on: October 24, 2017
Morphology and phase behavior of two-component lipid membranes
Dong Ni1, Hui-Ji Shi, Ya-Jun Yin
1Key Laboratory of Failure Mechanics, Department of Engineering Mechanics, Tsinghua University, Beijing, People's Republic of China. nd01@mails.tsinghua.edu.cn
Journal of Biological Physics
|August 12, 2009
Summary
Lipid membrane domains with varying bending rigidities can form stable protruding circular or striped shapes. A phase transition between these morphologies is also predicted under specific conditions.
Area of Science:
- Biophysics
- Materials Science
- Soft Matter Physics
Background:
- Lipid membranes exhibit complex phase behaviors.
- Domain formation is influenced by physical properties like bending rigidity.
- Understanding domain morphology is crucial for membrane function.
Purpose of the Study:
- Investigate the stability and shapes of lipid membrane domains.
- Explore the impact of varying bending rigidities on domain morphology.
- Predict equilibrium phases and potential phase transitions.
Main Methods:
- Theoretical modeling of lipid membrane physics.
- Analysis of surface tensions and spontaneous curvatures.
- Simulation of domain formation and stability.
Main Results:
- Identified equilibrium phases of protruding circular and striped domains.
- Demonstrated the influence of weak line tensions, surface tensions, and finite spontaneous curvatures.
- Predicted a possible phase transition between different domain morphologies.
Conclusions:
- Lipid membrane domain shapes are controllable by physical parameters.
- The study provides insights into the self-assembly and phase behavior of lipid membranes.
- Predicted phase transitions offer avenues for future experimental validation.
Related Concept Videos
01:35Asymmetric 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%...
01:19Fluid 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...
01:34Fluid Mosaic Model
The fluid mosaic model was first proposed as a visual representation of research observations. The model comprises the composition and dynamics of membranes and serves as a foundation for future membrane-related studies. The model depicts the structure of the plasma membrane with a variety of components, which include phospholipids, proteins, and carbohydrates. These integral molecules are loosely bound, defining the cell’s border and providing fluidity for optimal function.LipidsThe most...
01:26Membrane 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...
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...
01:23Membrane Fluidity
Cell membranes are composed of phospholipids, proteins, and carbohydrates loosely attached to one another through chemical interactions. Molecules are generally able to move about in the plane of the membrane, giving the membrane its flexible nature called fluidity. Two other features of the membrane contribute to membrane fluidity: the chemical structure of the phospholipids and the presence of cholesterol in the membrane.Fatty acids tails of phospholipids can be either saturated or...
03:38Structure of Lipids
Lipids include a diverse group of compounds that are largely nonpolar in nature. This is because they are hydrocarbons that include mostly nonpolar carbon-carbon or carbon-hydrogen bonds. Non-polar molecules are hydrophobic (“water fearing”), or insoluble in water. Lipids perform many different functions in a cell. Cells store energy for long-term use in the form of fats. Lipids also provide insulation from the environment for plants and animals. For example, they help keep aquatic birds and...