Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

What are Membranes?01:24

What are Membranes?

A cell's plasma membrane demarcates the cell's borders and determines the nature of its interaction with the environment. Cells exclude certain substances, take in others, and excrete some others in controlled quantities. The plasma membrane must be flexible to allow certain cells, such as red and white blood cells, to change their shape while passing through narrow capillaries. These are the more obvious plasma membrane functions. In addition, the plasma membrane's surface carries markers that...
What are Membranes?01:54

What are Membranes?

A key characteristic of life is the ability to separate the external environment from the internal space. To do this, cells have evolved semi-permeable membranes that regulate the passage of biological molecules. Additionally, the cell membrane defines a cell’s shape and interactions with the external environment. Eukaryotic cell membranes also serve to compartmentalize the internal space into organelles, including the endomembrane structures of the nucleus, endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi...
What are Membranes?01:24

What are Membranes?

A cell's plasma membrane demarcates the cell's borders and determines the nature of its interaction with the environment. Cells exclude certain substances, take in others, and excrete some others in controlled quantities. The plasma membrane must be flexible to allow certain cells, such as red and white blood cells, to change their shape while passing through narrow capillaries. These are the more obvious plasma membrane functions. In addition, the plasma membrane's surface carries markers that...
Fluid Mosaic Model01:19

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...
Plasma Membrane in Bacteria and Archaea01:27

Plasma Membrane in Bacteria and Archaea

The plasma membrane is an essential cellular structure responsible for maintaining cellular integrity and regulating the selective transport of molecules. While bacteria and archaea share the fundamental function of plasma membranes, their structural and molecular differences reflect adaptations to distinct ecological and physiological challenges.Bacterial Plasma MembranesBacterial plasma membranes are predominantly composed of phospholipids with fatty acid chains ester-linked to a glycerol...
Introduction to Membrane Proteins01:16

Introduction to Membrane Proteins

The cell membrane, or plasma membrane, is an ever-changing landscape. It is described as a fluid mosaic where various macromolecules are embedded in the phospholipid bilayer. Among the macromolecules are proteins. The protein content varies across cell types. For example, mitochondrial inner membranes contain ~76% protein content, while myelin contains ~18% protein content. Individual cells contain many types of membrane proteins—red blood cells contain over 50—and different cell types have...

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

Myosin-I nomenclature.

The Journal of cell biology·2001
Same author

Calmodulin-binding and autoinhibitory domains of Acanthamoeba myosin I heavy chain kinase, a p21-activated kinase (PAK).

The Journal of biological chemistry·2001
Same author

Myosin I mutants with only 1% of wild-type actin-activated MgATPase activity retain essential in vivo function(s).

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2001
Same author

Chimeras of Dictyostelium myosin II head and neck domains with Acanthamoeba or chicken smooth muscle myosin II tail domain have greatly increased and unregulated actin-dependent MgATPase activity.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2000
Same author

Coevolution of head, neck, and tail domains of myosin heavy chains.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2000
Same author

Functional analysis of tail domains of Acanthamoeba myosin IC by characterization of truncation and deletion mutants.

The Journal of biological chemistry·2000

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 19, 2026

Spot Variation Fluorescence Correlation Spectroscopy for Analysis of Molecular Diffusion at the Plasma Membrane of Living Cells
05:56

Spot Variation Fluorescence Correlation Spectroscopy for Analysis of Molecular Diffusion at the Plasma Membrane of Living Cells

Published on: November 12, 2020

Structure and Function of the Plasma Membrane : A biochemical perspective.

E D Korn1

  • 1Section on Cellular Physiology, Laboratory of Biochemistry, National Heart Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20014.

The Journal of General Physiology
|October 30, 2009
PubMed
Summary

Classical plasma membrane models face challenges with current data. Alternative lipoprotein subunit models are plausible but unproven, suggesting future research should focus on membrane function and biosynthesis.

More Related Videos

Determining Membrane Protein Topology Using Fluorescence Protease Protection (FPP)
08:14

Determining Membrane Protein Topology Using Fluorescence Protease Protection (FPP)

Published on: April 20, 2015

A Model Membrane Platform for Reconstituting Mitochondrial Membrane Dynamics
10:31

A Model Membrane Platform for Reconstituting Mitochondrial Membrane Dynamics

Published on: September 2, 2020

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 19, 2026

Spot Variation Fluorescence Correlation Spectroscopy for Analysis of Molecular Diffusion at the Plasma Membrane of Living Cells
05:56

Spot Variation Fluorescence Correlation Spectroscopy for Analysis of Molecular Diffusion at the Plasma Membrane of Living Cells

Published on: November 12, 2020

Determining Membrane Protein Topology Using Fluorescence Protease Protection (FPP)
08:14

Determining Membrane Protein Topology Using Fluorescence Protease Protection (FPP)

Published on: April 20, 2015

A Model Membrane Platform for Reconstituting Mitochondrial Membrane Dynamics
10:31

A Model Membrane Platform for Reconstituting Mitochondrial Membrane Dynamics

Published on: September 2, 2020

Area of Science:

  • Biochemistry
  • Cell Biology
  • Structural Biology

Background:

  • The paucimolecular unit membrane model has long been the standard for plasma membrane structure.
  • Recent advancements in understanding membrane composition and protein behavior challenge this model.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To critically review the paucimolecular unit membrane model.
  • To assess its compatibility with current biochemical and biophysical data.
  • To explore alternative structural models for the plasma membrane.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review and critical analysis of existing data.
  • Evaluation of studies on plasma membrane chemical and enzymatic composition.
  • Assessment of phospholipid properties, protein conformation, and lipid-protein interactions.

Main Results:

  • The classical unit membrane model is not well supported by current data and is difficult to reconcile with new findings.
  • Lipoprotein subunit models present a biochemically attractive alternative but remain unproven.
  • Existing structural models do not fully explain membrane properties and functions.

Conclusions:

  • Direct structural studies alone may not resolve current membrane model discrepancies.
  • Further investigation into membrane function and biosynthesis is crucial for advancing our understanding of plasma membrane structure.
  • A shift in research focus towards dynamic processes may yield more definitive insights.