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

Membrane Fluidity01:23

Membrane Fluidity

176.3K
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.
176.3K
Membrane Fluidity01:26

Membrane Fluidity

16.4K
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...
16.4K
Asymmetric Lipid Bilayer01:35

Asymmetric Lipid Bilayer

10.1K
Biological membranes show uneven distribution of different types of lipids in the inner and outer layers, resulting in transverse asymmetric membranes. The treatment of the erythrocyte membrane with the enzyme phospholipase confirmed the asymmetric nature of the lipid bilayer. The enzyme hydrolyzes lipids into fatty acids and hydrophilic groups. The phospholipase acts only on the outer layer of the membrane, while the inner layer remains intact. The phospholipase treatment resulted in 80%...
10.1K
Fluid Mosaic Model01:19

Fluid Mosaic Model

17.9K
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...
17.9K
Assembly of the Lipid Bilayer in the ER01:28

Assembly of the Lipid Bilayer in the ER

4.3K
Biological membranes are more than just a barrier separating cell cytoplasm from the outside environment. They are highly dynamic and help maintain the integrity and physiological stability of the cells as well as membrane-bound organelles. Membranes also play vital roles in cell-to-cell and intracellular communication.
A large chunk of any biological membrane is composed of phospholipids. These lipids have a heterogeneous distribution across different subcellular organelles and even between...
4.3K
Biosynthesis of Lipids01:29

Biosynthesis of Lipids

702
Microbial membranes exhibit remarkable diversity in lipid composition, reflecting evolutionary adaptations to various environmental conditions. The three domains of life—Bacteria, Archaea, and Eukarya—synthesize membrane lipids through distinct biosynthetic pathways, leading to fundamental structural differences that impact membrane stability, function, and adaptability.Fatty Acid-Based Lipids in Bacteria and EukaryaBacteria and eukaryotes share a common fatty acid biosynthesis...
702

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

Simulation Guided Design of a Potentially Hyperactive Ice Nucleating Protein.

Journal of chemical information and modeling·2026
Same author

Optimization of novel compounds using computer-aided drug design for treatment of cardiac arrhythmia.

British journal of pharmacology·2026
Same author

Transport mechanism of the SLC4 proteins-Lessons from recent structural and computational studies.

The Journal of biological chemistry·2026
Same author

A mechanistic understanding of how KCNE1 tunes KCNQ1 channel pharmacology.

Structure (London, England : 1993)·2026
Same author

CryoEM and computational modeling structural insights into the pH regulator NBCn1.

Nature communications·2025
Same author

The Martini 3 Lipidome: Expanded and Refined Parameters Improve Lipid Phase Behavior.

ACS central science·2025
Same journal

Anisotropic unbinding and location-dependent hovering of a kinesin motor head over microtubule.

Biophysical journal·2026
Same journal

Kinesin-5/Cut7 C-terminal tail phosphorylation influence on motor regulation through multi-scale molecular modeling.

Biophysical journal·2026
Same journal

Dynamic conformations of fluorophores on self-labeling protein tags.

Biophysical journal·2026
Same journal

Different actions of RyR2 open and closed channel block explained by a multiscale Ca<sup>2+</sup> release model.

Biophysical journal·2026
Same journal

Membrane Environment Sets the Functional pK<sub>a</sub> of Ionizable Lipids.

Biophysical journal·2026
Same journal

Distinguishable spreading dynamics in microbial communities.

Biophysical journal·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Feb 16, 2026

Atomic Force Microscopy Imaging and Force Spectroscopy of Supported Lipid Bilayers
10:15

Atomic Force Microscopy Imaging and Force Spectroscopy of Supported Lipid Bilayers

Published on: July 22, 2015

15.5K

Composition Fluctuations in Lipid Bilayers.

Svetlana Baoukina1, Dmitri Rozmanov2, D Peter Tieleman1

  • 1Department of Biological Sciences and Centre for Molecular Simulation, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

Biophysical Journal
|December 21, 2017
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Cell membranes exhibit nanoscale domains critical for function. This study distinguishes between coexisting phases and composition fluctuations, revealing how hybrid lipids influence membrane organization and ordering.

More Related Videos

Author Spotlight: Advancing Cell Membrane Biophysics - Exploring Interactions and Challenges Through Experimental and Computational Approaches
07:31

Author Spotlight: Advancing Cell Membrane Biophysics - Exploring Interactions and Challenges Through Experimental and Computational Approaches

Published on: September 1, 2023

3.2K
Neutron Spin Echo Spectroscopy as a Unique Probe for Lipid Membrane Dynamics and Membrane-Protein Interactions
10:02

Neutron Spin Echo Spectroscopy as a Unique Probe for Lipid Membrane Dynamics and Membrane-Protein Interactions

Published on: May 27, 2021

4.6K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Feb 16, 2026

Atomic Force Microscopy Imaging and Force Spectroscopy of Supported Lipid Bilayers
10:15

Atomic Force Microscopy Imaging and Force Spectroscopy of Supported Lipid Bilayers

Published on: July 22, 2015

15.5K
Author Spotlight: Advancing Cell Membrane Biophysics - Exploring Interactions and Challenges Through Experimental and Computational Approaches
07:31

Author Spotlight: Advancing Cell Membrane Biophysics - Exploring Interactions and Challenges Through Experimental and Computational Approaches

Published on: September 1, 2023

3.2K
Neutron Spin Echo Spectroscopy as a Unique Probe for Lipid Membrane Dynamics and Membrane-Protein Interactions
10:02

Neutron Spin Echo Spectroscopy as a Unique Probe for Lipid Membrane Dynamics and Membrane-Protein Interactions

Published on: May 27, 2021

4.6K

Area of Science:

  • Membrane biophysics
  • Computational lipidomics
  • Cellular organization

Background:

  • Cell membranes possess heterogeneous lipid and protein distributions.
  • Nanoscale rafts are functionally important, but their phase state remains unclear.
  • Distinguishing between coexisting phases and composition fluctuations is key to understanding membrane organization.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the differences between nanoscale domains of coexisting phases and composition fluctuations in lipid bilayers.
  • To understand the role of hybrid lipids in modulating membrane phase behavior.

Main Methods:

  • Simulated model lipid bilayers using the MARTINI coarse-grained force field.
  • Analyzed binary (saturated/unsaturated lipid) and ternary (lipid/cholesterol) mixtures.
  • Investigated phase transitions by altering temperature and lipid composition.

Main Results:

  • Observed transformation of two-phase domains into composition fluctuations with local ordering.
  • Identified distinct properties between nanoscale domains and fluctuations, including interleaflet overlap and boundary length.
  • Found hybrid lipids order the disordered phase, reducing phase differences without boundary enrichment.

Conclusions:

  • Nanoscale domains and composition fluctuations represent distinct organizational states in lipid bilayers.
  • Hybrid lipids play a role in regulating membrane fluidity and organization, potentially explaining their function in cell membranes.