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

3.1K
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...
3.1K
Membrane Fluidity01:23

Membrane Fluidity

166.5K
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.
166.5K
Membrane Fluidity01:26

Membrane Fluidity

13.6K
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...
13.6K
Fluid Mosaic Model01:19

Fluid Mosaic Model

14.6K
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...
14.6K
Asymmetric Lipid Bilayer01:35

Asymmetric Lipid Bilayer

9.0K
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%...
9.0K
Mechanisms of Membrane Domain Formation00:59

Mechanisms of Membrane Domain Formation

3.5K
Different physical properties of lipids and proteins allow them to localize and form distinct islands or domains in the membrane. Some membrane domains are formed due to protein-protein interactions, whereas others are formed due to the presence of specific lipids such as sphingolipids and sterols—for example, large proteins, such as bacteriorhodopsin, aggregate and create distinct domains.
Another mechanism for membrane domain formation involves membrane proteins interacting with...
3.5K

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

Correction to "Efficient Protein-Ligand Binding Free Energy Estimation with Coarse-Grained Funnel Metadynamics".

Journal of chemical theory and computation·2026
Same author

Coarse-Grained Simulations Reveal Salt- and Length-Dependent Condensation of G4C2 RNA Repeats.

The journal of physical chemistry letters·2026
Same author

Martini 3 Metabolome.

Journal of chemical theory and computation·2026
Same author

Condensates as Conformation Editors of Disordered Client Proteins.

Journal of the American Chemical Society·2026
Same author

An optimized contact map for GōMartini 3 enabling conformational changes in protein assemblies.

Biophysical journal·2026
Same author

Bringing the genetically minimal cell to life on a computer in 4D.

Cell·2026
Same journal

Emerging role of organelles in cell migration.

Current opinion in cell biology·2026
Same journal

Nuclear adaptation in cell migration.

Current opinion in cell biology·2026
Same journal

Patterns in motion: Choreographing dynamic cell behaviours during tissue repair.

Current opinion in cell biology·2026
Same journal

Quo vadis reconstituted cell surfaces? Purpose and future perspectives for minimal systems of the cell plasma membrane.

Current opinion in cell biology·2026
Same journal

Nuclear determinants of mRNA and protein isoforms.

Current opinion in cell biology·2026
Same journal

Substrate selectivity as a paradigm shift in mTORC1 signaling.

Current opinion in cell biology·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Nov 12, 2025

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

2.8K

Simulating realistic membrane shapes.

Weria Pezeshkian1, Siewert J Marrink1

  • 1Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute and Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands.

Current Opinion in Cell Biology
|March 15, 2021
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Biological membranes

Keywords:
Cell membranesMembrane curvatureMesoscale modelsMolecular dynamicsMultiscale simulationsOrganelle shape

More Related Videos

Reconstitution of Septin Assembly at Membranes to Study Biophysical Properties and Functions
06:32

Reconstitution of Septin Assembly at Membranes to Study Biophysical Properties and Functions

Published on: July 28, 2022

2.5K
Assembly of Cell Mimicking Supported and Suspended Lipid Bilayer Models for the Study of Molecular Interactions
12:18

Assembly of Cell Mimicking Supported and Suspended Lipid Bilayer Models for the Study of Molecular Interactions

Published on: August 3, 2021

3.8K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Nov 12, 2025

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

2.8K
Reconstitution of Septin Assembly at Membranes to Study Biophysical Properties and Functions
06:32

Reconstitution of Septin Assembly at Membranes to Study Biophysical Properties and Functions

Published on: July 28, 2022

2.5K
Assembly of Cell Mimicking Supported and Suspended Lipid Bilayer Models for the Study of Molecular Interactions
12:18

Assembly of Cell Mimicking Supported and Suspended Lipid Bilayer Models for the Study of Molecular Interactions

Published on: August 3, 2021

3.8K

Area of Science:

  • Biophysics and computational biology.

Background:

  • Biological membranes exhibit diverse shapes and complex compositions crucial for cellular functions.
  • Computational simulations are widely used to study biomembrane properties.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review recent advances in simulating biological membranes.
  • To identify current challenges and future directions in the field.

Main Methods:

  • Review of various computational techniques used in biomembrane simulations.
  • Analysis of studies linking molecular interactions to organelle morphology.

Main Results:

  • Increasing realism in biomembrane simulations is capturing complex protein-lipid interactions.
  • Simulations now connect microscopic details to macroscopic cellular structures.

Conclusions:

  • The field is advancing in simulating biomembrane complexity.
  • Further research is needed to overcome current simulation bottlenecks and enhance predictive power.