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

3.0K
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...
3.0K
Fluid Mosaic Model01:19

Fluid Mosaic Model

14.5K
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...
14.5K
Membrane Fluidity01:26

Membrane Fluidity

13.5K
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...
13.5K
Membrane Fluidity01:23

Membrane Fluidity

165.5K
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.
165.5K
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
Protein Diffusion in the Membrane01:24

Protein Diffusion in the Membrane

5.0K
Proteins show rotational as well as lateral diffusion across the membrane. The lateral diffusion of proteins was confirmed through the cell fusion experiment where mouse and human cells were fused, resulting in hybrid cells. When the human and mouse cells fused, the specific membrane proteins on human and mouse cells were marked with the red and green-fluorescent markers, respectively. Initially, the red and green fluorescence was located on the respective hemisphere of the cell. As time...
5.0K

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

Data-efficient multidimensional free energy estimation via physics-informed score learning.

The Journal of chemical physics·2026
Same author

Mapping the Molecular Universe: Exploring Chemical Compound Space by Multiscale High-Throughput Screening and Machine Learning.

Journal of chemical information and modeling·2026
Same author

Individualised positive end-expiratory pressure to minimise driving pressure and postoperative pulmonary complications in minimally invasive thoracic and abdominal surgery a systematic review and meta-analysis.

British journal of anaesthesia·2026
Same author

The cyanobacterial ESCRT-III protein IM30 forms biomolecular condensates at physiologically relevant conditions.

Biophysical journal·2026
Same author

Fast Parametrization of Martini3 Models for Fragments and Small Molecules.

Journal of chemical theory and computation·2025
Same author

Differential conformational expansion of NUP98-HOXA9 oncoprotein from nanosized assemblies to macrophases.

Nature communications·2025

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Nov 6, 2025

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

4.2K

Finite-size transitions in complex membranes.

Martin Girard1, Tristan Bereau2

  • 1Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, Mainz, Germany.

Biophysical Journal
|May 7, 2021
PubMed
Summary

Cell membranes may naturally exhibit critical behavior due to lipid regulation, supporting the critical-membrane hypothesis. This occurs over a wide temperature range, not a single point, simplifying membrane organization theories.

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

2.7K
Single-Molecule Imaging of Lateral Mobility and Ion Channel Activity in Lipid Bilayers using Total Internal Reflection Fluorescence TIRF Microscopy
08:55

Single-Molecule Imaging of Lateral Mobility and Ion Channel Activity in Lipid Bilayers using Total Internal Reflection Fluorescence TIRF Microscopy

Published on: February 17, 2023

3.6K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Nov 6, 2025

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

4.2K
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

2.7K
Single-Molecule Imaging of Lateral Mobility and Ion Channel Activity in Lipid Bilayers using Total Internal Reflection Fluorescence TIRF Microscopy
08:55

Single-Molecule Imaging of Lateral Mobility and Ion Channel Activity in Lipid Bilayers using Total Internal Reflection Fluorescence TIRF Microscopy

Published on: February 17, 2023

3.6K

Area of Science:

  • Biophysics
  • Cell Biology
  • Soft Matter Physics

Background:

  • The lipid-raft hypothesis suggests cell membranes have lateral organization.
  • The underlying mechanism for membrane organization, particularly criticality, remains elusive.
  • Maintaining criticality in multi-component membranes requires complex component tuning.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To propose a framework reconciling critical behavior and lipid regulation in cell membranes.
  • To investigate if lipid regulation can lead to criticality without precise tuning.
  • To provide a robust model for membrane organization.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized a lattice model to simulate complex membrane behavior.
  • Incorporated lipid regulation allowing composition fluctuations based on chemical potentials.
  • Analyzed finite-size effects and their impact on membrane properties.

Main Results:

  • Demonstrated that lipid regulation can induce critical behavior in complex membranes.
  • Observed criticality over a broad temperature range, not a sharp transition point.
  • Identified finite-size effects and translational symmetry as key factors.

Conclusions:

  • The proposed framework supports the critical-membrane hypothesis without requiring specific sensing mechanisms.
  • Lipid regulation naturally leads to criticality, explaining membrane organization.
  • The model accurately reproduces experimental trends, such as membrane-demixing temperature correlating with cell growth.