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

152.9K
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.
152.9K
Fluid Mosaic Model01:19

Fluid Mosaic Model

12.0K
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...
12.0K
The Fluid Mosaic Model01:34

The Fluid Mosaic Model

149.0K
The fluid mosaic model was first proposed as a visual representation of research observations. The model comprises the composition and dynamics of membranes and serves as a foundation for future membrane-related studies. The model depicts the structure of the plasma membrane with a variety of components, which include phospholipids, proteins, and carbohydrates. These integral molecules are loosely bound, defining the cell’s border and providing fluidity for optimal function.
149.0K
Asymmetric Lipid Bilayer01:35

Asymmetric Lipid Bilayer

7.3K
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%...
7.3K
What are Membranes?01:24

What are Membranes?

13.4K
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...
13.4K
Enlargement of the Plasma Membrane01:22

Enlargement of the Plasma Membrane

1.9K
Cell division and enlargement are processes that require precise control. The control ensures that cell division cannot proceed unless the cell has grown to a specific size. A spherical, dividing cell requires an approximately 1.6X increase in its surface area to double its volume. The secretory pathway also has a significant role in cell membrane enlargement. Secretory vesicles that bud off from the Golgi apparatus and later fuse with the plasma membrane during exocytosis are a major source of...
1.9K

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

The membrane transition strongly enhances biopolymer condensation through prewetting.

Nature chemical biology·2026
Same author

PIP<sub>2</sub> promotes the incorporation of CD43, PSGL-1, and CD44 into nascent HIV-1 particles.

Science advances·2025
Same author

PIP2 promotes the incorporation of CD43, PSGL-1 and CD44 into nascent HIV-1 particles.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2024
Same author

The membrane transition strongly enhances biopolymer condensation through prewetting.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2024
Same author

TorsinA is essential for neuronal nuclear pore complex localization and maturation.

Nature cell biology·2024
Same author

TorsinA is essential for the timing and localization of neuronal nuclear pore complex biogenesis.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2023

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 19, 2025

Phase Behavior of Charged Vesicles Under Symmetric and Asymmetric Solution Conditions Monitored with Fluorescence Microscopy
10:08

Phase Behavior of Charged Vesicles Under Symmetric and Asymmetric Solution Conditions Monitored with Fluorescence Microscopy

Published on: October 24, 2017

9.2K

The Membrane Phase Transition Gives Rise to Responsive Plasma Membrane Structure and Function.

Sarah A Shelby1, Sarah L Veatch2

  • 1Biochemistry & Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Tennessee Knoxville, Knoxville, Tennessee 37996, USA sshelby4@utk.edu sveatch@umich.edu.

Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Biology
|August 8, 2023
PubMed
Summary

Cell membranes form dynamic domains by organizing proteins. This membrane phase separation is driven by their proximity to a phase transition, enabling responsive cellular functions.

More Related Videos

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

3.2K
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

2.3K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jul 19, 2025

Phase Behavior of Charged Vesicles Under Symmetric and Asymmetric Solution Conditions Monitored with Fluorescence Microscopy
10:08

Phase Behavior of Charged Vesicles Under Symmetric and Asymmetric Solution Conditions Monitored with Fluorescence Microscopy

Published on: October 24, 2017

9.2K
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

3.2K
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

2.3K

Area of Science:

  • Cell biology
  • Biophysics
  • Membrane biophysics

Background:

  • Recent studies show plasma membrane domains form via protein organization.
  • These domains recruit liquid-ordered phase components, linking to membrane phase separation.
  • Decades of research explore membrane phase separation's role in cell organization.

Purpose of the Study:

  • Propose a thermodynamic model for plasma membrane domain formation.
  • Explain how membrane composition influences domain emergence and stability.
  • Connect membrane compositional landscape to cellular biochemistry and function.

Main Methods:

  • Thermodynamic modeling of membrane miscibility.
  • Analysis of compositional susceptibility near phase transitions.
  • Integration of existing experimental observations into the proposed model.

Main Results:

  • Membranes near a miscibility phase transition exhibit high compositional susceptibility.
  • This susceptibility allows for both transient composition fluctuations and stable induced domains.
  • Biological tuning of membrane composition creates a responsive landscape.

Conclusions:

  • A thermodynamic framework explains plasma membrane domain formation and dynamics.
  • Membrane phase behavior is crucial for organizing cellular biochemistry.
  • This model unifies past and present observations on membrane organization.