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

Membrane Fluidity

Membrane 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...

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...

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...

$X-ray Diffraction of Biological Samples$ 01:10

X-ray Diffraction of Biological Samples

X-ray diffraction or XRD is an analytical tool that utilizes X-rays to study ordered structures such as crystalline organic and inorganic samples, polycrystalline materials, proteins, carbohydrates, and drugs.
According to Bragg's law, when X-rays strike the sample positioned on a stage, the rays are scattered by the electron clouds around the sample atoms. The X-ray diffraction or scattering is caused by constructive interference of the X-ray waves that reflect off the internal crystal...

Membrane Domains

Membrane Domains

The membrane domains concentrate specific lipids and proteins at one place within the membrane, which helps in cell signaling, adhesion, and other critical cellular processes. These domains can differ in size, composition, function, and lifespan.
Protein Domains
The membrane comprises a group of distinct proteins responsible for carrying out a cell's specific function. For example, the plasma membrane of the human sperm, or a single germ cell, contains a unique set of proteins in the anterior...

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by

Same author

Generation of Customized Bone Implants from CT Scans Using FEA and AM.

Materials (Basel, Switzerland)·2024

Same author

Erythrocyte fatty acid membrane composition in children on long-term parenteral nutrition enriched with ω-3 fatty acids.

The American journal of clinical nutrition·2021

Same author

Multiple Interactions of Glucose with the Extra-Membranous Loops of GLUT1 Aid Transport.

Journal of chemical information and modeling·2021

Same author

Two Coexisting Membrane Structures Are Defined by Lateral and Transbilayer Interactions between Sphingomyelin and Cholesterol.

Langmuir : the ACS journal of surfaces and colloids·2020

Same author

Postprandial bile acid levels in intestine and plasma reveal altered biliary circulation in chronic pancreatitis patients.

Journal of lipid research·2018

Same author

Numerical comparative study of five currently used implants for high tibial osteotomy: realistic loading including muscle forces versus simplified experimental loading.

Journal of experimental orthopaedics·2018

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 7, 2026

Formation of Biomembrane Microarrays with a Squeegee-based Assembly Method

Formation of Biomembrane Microarrays with a Squeegee-based Assembly Method

Published on: May 8, 2014

An X-ray diffraction study of model membrane raft structures.

Peter J Quinn¹, Claude Wolf

¹Biochemistry Department, King's College London, London, UK. p.quinn@kcl.ac.uk

The FEBS Journal

|October 28, 2010

Summary

This study reveals three coexisting lipid bilayer structures within membrane rafts, including a novel quasicrystalline phase. This ordered phase may serve as a scaffold for protein assembly in biological membranes.

More Related Videos

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

Determination of Lipid Raft Partitioning of Fluorescently-tagged Probes in Living Cells by Fluorescence Correlation Spectroscopy (FCS)

Determination of Lipid Raft Partitioning of Fluorescently-tagged Probes in Living Cells by Fluorescence Correlation Spectroscopy (FCS)

Published on: April 6, 2012

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 7, 2026

Formation of Biomembrane Microarrays with a Squeegee-based Assembly Method

Formation of Biomembrane Microarrays with a Squeegee-based Assembly Method

Published on: May 8, 2014

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

Determination of Lipid Raft Partitioning of Fluorescently-tagged Probes in Living Cells by Fluorescence Correlation Spectroscopy (FCS)

Determination of Lipid Raft Partitioning of Fluorescently-tagged Probes in Living Cells by Fluorescence Correlation Spectroscopy (FCS)

Published on: April 6, 2012

Area of Science:

Biophysics
Membrane Biology
Lipid Bilayer Structure

Background:

Membrane rafts are ordered lipid domains crucial for protein sorting and function.
Cholesterol and sphingomyelin form liquid-ordered phases, but their role in rafts is limited.
Properties of other raft lipids and their structural organization remain underexplored.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the structural properties of lipid bilayers composed of phosphatidylcholines, sphingomyelins, and cholesterol.
To characterize coexisting lipid phases within membrane raft models.

Main Methods:

Synchrotron X-ray powder diffraction was used to analyze aqueous dispersions of ternary lipid mixtures.
Peak-fitting methods were applied to Bragg reflections to determine bilayer structures.
Thermal scans (20–50 °C) were performed on lipid mixtures of varying compositions.

Main Results:

Three distinct coexisting bilayer structures were identified: a quasicrystalline phase (phosphatidylcholine/sphingomyelin), a liquid-ordered phase (phospholipid/cholesterol), and fluid phospholipid bilayers.
Structural assignments were based on lamellar repeat spacings, scattering intensities, and bilayer thickness.
The quasicrystalline phase consists of equimolar phosphatidylcholine and sphingomyelin.

Conclusions:

The identified quasicrystalline phase offers a potential scaffold for organizing raft proteins on both sides of the membrane.
Coexisting liquid-ordered phases provide alternative membrane environments for the assembly of different raft proteins.
Understanding these lipid structures is key to elucidating membrane protein organization and function.