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Related Concept Videos

What are Membranes?01:24

What are Membranes?

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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...
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What are Membranes?01:54

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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...
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Asymmetric Lipid Bilayer01:35

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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%...
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Introduction to Membrane Proteins01:16

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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...
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Membrane Domains01:18

Membrane Domains

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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...
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Membrane Fluidity01:23

Membrane Fluidity

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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.
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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Nov 25, 2025

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

Hong-Yin Wang1, Deepti Bharti1,2, Ilya Levental1

  • 1Department of Molecular Physiology and Biological Physics, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, United States.

Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology
|December 17, 2020
PubMed
Summary

Cellular membrane organization is key, but research mainly focuses on the plasma membrane. This review explores lipid organization in organellar and secreted membranes, revealing principles of lipid self-organization.

Keywords:
Golgiendoplasmic reticulumlipid raftmembrane domainorganelle

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Area of Science:

  • Cell Biology
  • Biophysics
  • Membrane Biology

Background:

  • Cellular membranes, particularly the plasma membrane, are extensively studied for lipid organization and heterogeneity.
  • Research on lipid organization in organellar and secreted membranes remains relatively limited.
  • Membrane domains are crucial for cellular function across various membrane systems.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review recent findings on lipid organization in non-plasma cellular membranes.
  • To highlight the biophysical principles governing lipid self-organization in these systems.
  • To expand the understanding of membrane heterogeneity beyond the plasma membrane.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of recent studies on organellar and secreted membranes.
  • Synthesis of data on lipid composition and organization.
  • Analysis of biophysical principles of lipid self-organization.

Main Results:

  • Lipid organization and domain formation are evident in organellar membranes (endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi, endo-lysosomes, lipid droplets).
  • Secreted membranes (lung surfactant, milk fat globule, viral membranes) also exhibit distinct lipid organization.
  • Biophysical principles of lipid self-organization appear to drive lateral domain formation in these diverse membrane systems.

Conclusions:

  • Lipid organization principles are conserved across various cellular membrane systems, not just the plasma membrane.
  • Understanding lipid organization in organellar and secreted membranes is vital for comprehending cellular function.
  • This review underscores the importance of exploring membrane heterogeneity in diverse cellular compartments.