Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 12, 2026

Biomembrane Fabrication by the Solvent-assisted Lipid Bilayer (SALB) Method
Published on: December 1, 2015
Cholesterol interacts with all of the lipid in bilayer membranes. Implications for models
1Department of Medicine, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada.
Abstract:
The interaction of cholesterol with lipid membranes has been studied by differential scanning calorimetry on liposomes, a technique which involves only the natural lipids, with no exogeneous probes. The influence of cholesterol at different molar percent concentrations c on the enthalpy delta H of the main gel to liquid crystal phase transition of saturated phosphatidylcholines of acyl chain length n = 12-20 was well represented by delta H = -9.43 + 1.01n - 0.268c kcal/mol. The linear dependence of delta H simultaneously upon chain length n and upon cholesterol concentration c shows clearly that cholesterol interacts with the deeper part of the lipids, as well as the superficial parts. This observation is not accommodated in any of the current models of cholesterol-lipid interactions.
Related Concept Videos
Fluid Mosaic Model
Membrane Fluidity
Membrane Fluidity
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
Asymmetric Lipid Bilayer
Assembly of the Lipid Bilayer in the ER
A large chunk of any biological membrane is composed of phospholipids. These lipids have a heterogeneous distribution across different subcellular organelles and even between...

