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

Mechanisms of Membrane-bending01:15

Mechanisms of Membrane-bending

3.7K
The living membranes are flexible due to their fluid mosaic nature; however, their bending into different shapes is an active process regulated by specific lipids and proteins. The membrane bending can be transient as seen in vesicles or stable for a long time as in microvilli. Cells regulate the size, location, and duration of the membrane curvature.
Membrane bending can happen due to intrinsic changes in lipid composition or extrinsic association with different proteins. The proteins involved...
3.7K
Surface Tension, Capillary Action, and Viscosity02:57

Surface Tension, Capillary Action, and Viscosity

34.8K
Surface Tension
The various IMFs between identical molecules of a substance are examples of cohesive forces. The molecules within a liquid are surrounded by other molecules and are attracted equally in all directions by the cohesive forces within the liquid. However, the molecules on the surface of a liquid are attracted only by about one-half as many molecules. Because of the unbalanced molecular attractions on the surface molecules, liquids contract to form a shape that minimizes the number...
34.8K
Surface Tension and Surface Energy01:16

Surface Tension and Surface Energy

3.6K
When a paint brush is immersed in water, the bristles wave freely inside the water. When it is taken out, the bristles stick together. The reason behind this effect is surface tension.
Consider a beaker filled with liquid. The bulk molecules in the liquid experience equal attractive forces on all sides with the surrounding molecules. However, the surface molecules experience a net attractive force downward due to the bulk molecules. The surface of the liquid behaves like a stretched membrane,...
3.6K
Surface Tension of Fluid01:22

Surface Tension of Fluid

2.1K
Surface tension is a fundamental property of fluids, occurring at the boundary between a liquid and a gas or between two immiscible liquids. This phenomenon arises from the cohesive forces between molecules at the fluid's surface, creating an effect similar to a stretched elastic membrane. Inside each fluid, molecules are equally attracted in all directions by neighboring molecules, but surface molecules experience a net inward force, resulting in surface tension.
Surface tension varies...
2.1K
Surface Membrane Barriers01:18

Surface Membrane Barriers

3.6K
The skin and mucous membranes serve as the primary line of defense against pathogens by providing both physical and chemical protection. These barriers are essential in preventing the entry and establishment of microbes, thereby maintaining the integrity of the host.
The outer layer of the skin, the epidermis, is a robust barrier comprising layers of closely packed keratinized cells. This dense arrangement prevents microbes from penetrating the body. The periodic shedding of epidermal cells...
3.6K
Excess Pressure Inside a Drop and a Bubble01:13

Excess Pressure Inside a Drop and a Bubble

3.9K
The shape of a small drop of liquid can be considered spherical, neglecting the effect of gravity. This drop can further be considered as two equal hemispherical drops put together due to surface tension. The forces acting on the spherical drop are due to the pressure of the liquid inside the drop, the pressure due to air outside the drop, and the force due to the surface tension acting on the two hemispherical drops.
3.9K

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

Coupling of lipid phase behavior and protein oligomerization in a lattice model of raft membranes.

Soft matter·2026
Same author

Plasma membrane asymmetry and lipid homeostasis: general discussion.

Faraday discussions·2025
Same author

Steady state and relaxation dynamics of run-and-tumble particles in contact with a heat bath.

Physical review. E·2025
Same author

Structure and dynamics of asymmetric membranes: general discussion.

Faraday discussions·2025
Same author

Engineering plasma membrane mimics: general discussion.

Faraday discussions·2025
Same author

Measuring the mechanical properties of asymmetric membranes in computer simulations - new methods and insights.

Faraday discussions·2025

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Apr 15, 2026

Proof-of-Concept for Gas-Entrapping Membranes Derived from Water-Loving SiO2/Si/SiO2 Wafers for Green Desalination
09:39

Proof-of-Concept for Gas-Entrapping Membranes Derived from Water-Loving SiO2/Si/SiO2 Wafers for Green Desalination

Published on: March 1, 2020

8.0K

Small membranes under negative surface tension.

Yotam Y Avital1, Oded Farago1

  • 1Department of Biomedical Engineering and Ilse Katz Institute for Nanoscale Science and Technology, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Be'er Sheva 84105, Israel.

The Journal of Chemical Physics
|April 3, 2015
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Negative tension in small membranes reveals two distinct elastic regimes. Unlike giant vesicles, smaller membranes exhibit unique mechanical and fluctuation tension behaviors under compression.

More Related Videos

Microtensiometer for Confocal Microscopy Visualization of Dynamic Interfaces
08:05

Microtensiometer for Confocal Microscopy Visualization of Dynamic Interfaces

Published on: September 9, 2022

3.0K
Membrane Remodeling of Giant Vesicles in Response to Localized Calcium Ion Gradients
08:15

Membrane Remodeling of Giant Vesicles in Response to Localized Calcium Ion Gradients

Published on: July 16, 2018

8.4K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Apr 15, 2026

Proof-of-Concept for Gas-Entrapping Membranes Derived from Water-Loving SiO2/Si/SiO2 Wafers for Green Desalination
09:39

Proof-of-Concept for Gas-Entrapping Membranes Derived from Water-Loving SiO2/Si/SiO2 Wafers for Green Desalination

Published on: March 1, 2020

8.0K
Microtensiometer for Confocal Microscopy Visualization of Dynamic Interfaces
08:05

Microtensiometer for Confocal Microscopy Visualization of Dynamic Interfaces

Published on: September 9, 2022

3.0K
Membrane Remodeling of Giant Vesicles in Response to Localized Calcium Ion Gradients
08:15

Membrane Remodeling of Giant Vesicles in Response to Localized Calcium Ion Gradients

Published on: July 16, 2018

8.4K

Area of Science:

  • Biophysics
  • Materials Science

Background:

  • Bilayer membranes exhibit complex elastic behaviors under mechanical stress.
  • Understanding membrane response to negative tension is crucial for cell mechanics and biomaterial design.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the mechanical response of bilayer membranes to negative (compressive) tension using computer simulations.
  • To identify distinct elasticity regimes and their characteristics under negative tension.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized computer simulations and a simple free energy model.
  • Analyzed the behavior of small membranes and vesicles under varying degrees of negative tension.

Main Results:

  • Identified two negative tension regimes: weak (stretching-dominated) and strong (bending-dominated) elasticity.
  • Observed differences in elasticity crossover points compared to giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs).
  • Found that fluctuation tension diverges from mechanical tension under negative pressure, with the bending modulus decreasing in the strong negative tension regime.

Conclusions:

  • Small membranes exhibit unique elasticity regimes and tension behaviors under negative tension, differing from GUVs.
  • The study provides insights into membrane instability and elastic properties under compressive forces.