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Related Concept Videos

Cellular Membranes and Drug Transport01:24

Cellular Membranes and Drug Transport

Drugs must traverse multiple biological barriers, such as multi-layered skin, single-layered intestinal epithelium, and the plasma membrane, to reach their target sites within the body. The plasma membrane, a highly structured composite of phospholipids, carbohydrates, and proteins, is the cell's protective boundary, facilitating selective substance exchange.
Phospholipids arrange themselves into a bilayer, with hydrophilic heads oriented outward and hydrophobic tails facing inward.
Drug Absorption Mechanism: Passive Membrane Transport01:23

Drug Absorption Mechanism: Passive Membrane Transport

Passive transport is a method of drug absorption where small, lipid-soluble drugs can move across the cell membrane. This movement happens along the concentration gradient, which is a natural flow from higher to lower concentration areas. The speed at which the drug moves is directly related to its lipid–water partition coefficient. This means that the more a drug dissolves in lipids, the faster it diffuses or spreads throughout the body. It is important to note that most drugs are either weak...
Bioavailability Enhancement: Drug Permeability Enhancement01:27

Bioavailability Enhancement: Drug Permeability Enhancement

After oral administration, poor permeability often limits the rate at which drugs are absorbed through the intestinal epithelium. Enhancing drug permeability is crucial for effective therapy, and several strategies have been developed to overcome this challenge.One effective strategy involves the use of lipid-based formulations. These formulations enhance dissolution and solubility, targeting physiological mechanisms to increase drug absorption. This includes stimulating bile salt secretion,...
Mechanisms of Drug Absorption: Paracellular, Transcellular, and Vesicular Transport01:23

Mechanisms of Drug Absorption: Paracellular, Transcellular, and Vesicular Transport

Drugs need to permeate cell membranes to reach their target sites after administration. Orally administered drugs must transcend intestinal epithelial membrane barriers to infiltrate the systemic circulation. Drugs with a molecular weight of less than 500 Daltons diffuse through gaps between neighboring cells, called paracellular pathways.
However, most drugs use the transcellular route, traversing directly through the cell membranes via two mechanisms: passive and active transport. Passive...
Pore Transport and Ion-Pair Transport01:17

Pore Transport and Ion-Pair Transport

Pore transport and ion-pair formation are critical mechanisms for the absorption and distribution of drugs in the body.
Pore transport, also known as convective transport, is a process where small molecules like urea, water, and sugars rapidly cross cell membranes as though there were channels or pores in the membrane. Although direct microscopic evidence is limited  but the concept of pores or channels is widely accepted based on physiological evidence. Despite the lack of direct microscopic...
Passive Diffusion: Overview and Kinetics01:17

Passive Diffusion: Overview and Kinetics

Passive diffusion is a critical process that allows small lipophilic drugs to cross the cell membrane along a concentration gradient. This mechanism's efficiency depends on four primary factors: the membrane's surface area, the drug's lipid-water partition coefficient, the concentration gradient, and the membrane's thickness.
When administered orally, drugs establish a substantial concentration gradient between the gastrointestinal (GI) lumen and the bloodstream, expediting their diffusion into...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 19, 2026

Assembly of Cell Mimicking Supported and Suspended Lipid Bilayer Models for the Study of Molecular Interactions
12:18

Assembly of Cell Mimicking Supported and Suspended Lipid Bilayer Models for the Study of Molecular Interactions

Published on: August 3, 2021

Monolayer and interfacial permeation.

M Blank1

  • 1Department of Physiology, College of Physicians and Surgeons of Columbia University, New York 10032.

The Journal of General Physiology
|October 30, 2009
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

This study explores transport across biological interfaces, including cell membranes, lung surfactant, and excitable membranes. Findings support the bimolecular leaflet model for cell membranes and propose a new mechanism for ionic flux during action potentials.

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Area of Science:

  • Physical Chemistry
  • Biophysics
  • Membrane Biology

Background:

  • Understanding transport across biological interfaces is crucial for cell membrane structure, lung surfactant function, and excitable membrane dynamics.
  • Existing models for cell membranes include the bimolecular leaflet (BML) model and mosaic models, each with different implications for permeability.
  • Lung surfactant plays a key role in alveolar stability, and ionic currents are fundamental to excitable membrane activity.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate transport phenomena at physical-chemical interfaces relevant to biological systems.
  • To evaluate the validity of the bimolecular leaflet model for cell membranes.
  • To explore novel mechanisms for ionic flux in excitable membranes during action potentials.

Main Methods:

  • Monolayer permeation studies to assess cell membrane properties.
  • Surface tension measurements and network formation analysis for lung surfactant.
  • Interfacial ionic transference studies to investigate ionic currents.

Main Results:

  • Permselectivity based on size in cell membranes is attributed to bilayer structure and partition coefficients, supporting the BML model over mosaic models.
  • Lung surfactant exhibits unique two-dimensional network formation, contributing to alveolar stability beyond its surface tension-lowering effects.
  • A new mechanism for interfacial ionic transference in excitable membranes is proposed, explaining ionic fluxes during action potentials without invoking ion-selective pores or carriers.

Conclusions:

  • The bimolecular leaflet model accurately describes cell membrane structure and permeability.
  • Lung surfactant's network properties are vital for alveolar stability.
  • The proposed ionic transference mechanism offers a new perspective on action potential generation in natural membranes.