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 Fluidity01:26

Membrane Fluidity

11.2K
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...
11.2K
The Fluid Mosaic Model01:34

The Fluid Mosaic Model

148.2K
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.
148.2K
Fluid Mosaic Model01:19

Fluid Mosaic Model

11.9K
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...
11.9K
Surface Tension of Fluid01:22

Surface Tension of Fluid

304
Surface tension is a fundamental property of fluids, occurring at the boundary between a liquid and a gas or between two immiscible liquids. This phenomenon arises from the cohesive forces between molecules at the fluid's surface, creating an effect similar to a stretched elastic membrane. Inside each fluid, molecules are equally attracted in all directions by neighboring molecules, but surface molecules experience a net inward force, resulting in surface tension.
Surface tension varies...
304

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

Atomistic Modeling of Methane and Carbon Dioxide Structure I Gas Hydrates under Pressure: Guest Effects and Properties.

Journal of chemical theory and computation·2026
Same author

Evaluation of Acrylamide/α-Lipoic Acid Statistical Copolymers as Degradable Water-Soluble Kinetic Gas Hydrate Inhibitors.

Polymers·2025
Same author

Cholesteric liquid crystal roughness models: from statistical characterization to inverse engineering.

Soft matter·2025
Same author

Multiscale Interfacial Structure and Organization of sII Gas Hydrate Interfaces Using Molecular Dynamics.

Nanomaterials (Basel, Switzerland)·2025
Same author

A coarse-grained molecular model of amyloid fibrils systems.

Soft matter·2023
Same author

Interfacial Effects during Phase Change in Multiple Levitated Tetrahydrofuran Hydrate Droplets.

Langmuir : the ACS journal of surfaces and colloids·2023

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 9, 2025

Orientational Transition in a Liquid Crystal Triggered by the Thermodynamic Growth of Interfacial Wetting Sheets
06:26

Orientational Transition in a Liquid Crystal Triggered by the Thermodynamic Growth of Interfacial Wetting Sheets

Published on: May 15, 2017

7.2K

Geometry-structure models for liquid crystal interfaces, drops and membranes: wrinkling, shape selection and

Ziheng Wang1, Phillip Servio1, Alejandro D Rey1

  • 1Department of Chemical Engineering, McGill University, 3610 University Street, Montréal, Québec, H3A 2B2, Canada. alejandro.rey@mcgill.ca.

Soft Matter
|November 30, 2023
PubMed
Summary

This study introduces a new shape-curvedness framework for modeling anisotropic soft matter, offering deeper insights into liquid crystal interfaces, drops, and membranes. The approach enhances understanding of pattern formation and biological cell shapes.

More Related Videos

Novel Techniques for Observing Structural Dynamics of Photoresponsive Liquid Crystals
10:35

Novel Techniques for Observing Structural Dynamics of Photoresponsive Liquid Crystals

Published on: May 29, 2018

8.8K
Temperature-Controlled Assembly and Characterization of a Droplet Interface Bilayer
10:11

Temperature-Controlled Assembly and Characterization of a Droplet Interface Bilayer

Published on: April 19, 2021

3.8K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jul 9, 2025

Orientational Transition in a Liquid Crystal Triggered by the Thermodynamic Growth of Interfacial Wetting Sheets
06:26

Orientational Transition in a Liquid Crystal Triggered by the Thermodynamic Growth of Interfacial Wetting Sheets

Published on: May 15, 2017

7.2K
Novel Techniques for Observing Structural Dynamics of Photoresponsive Liquid Crystals
10:35

Novel Techniques for Observing Structural Dynamics of Photoresponsive Liquid Crystals

Published on: May 29, 2018

8.8K
Temperature-Controlled Assembly and Characterization of a Droplet Interface Bilayer
10:11

Temperature-Controlled Assembly and Characterization of a Droplet Interface Bilayer

Published on: April 19, 2021

3.8K

Area of Science:

  • Soft Matter Physics
  • Liquid Crystals
  • Biophysics
  • Computational Geometry

Background:

  • Traditional models for soft matter geometry use dimensional curvatures that conflate shape and curvedness.
  • Anisotropic soft matter, including liquid crystal interfaces, drops, and membranes, exhibits complex static and dynamic behaviors.
  • Existing theoretical and simulation literature often lacks a unified framework for analyzing these phenomena.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To present a novel decoupled shape-curvedness framework for analyzing anisotropic soft matter.
  • To demonstrate the framework's application to liquid crystal interfaces, drops, and membranes.
  • To provide deeper quantitative insights into static and dynamic pattern formation compared to traditional methods.

Main Methods:

  • Application of a novel decoupled shape-curvedness framework to soft matter phenomena.
  • Analysis of static wrinkling and shape selection in liquid crystal interfaces and membranes.
  • Modeling of dissipative dynamics and shape evolution in membranes using irreversible thermodynamics.
  • Development of computational methods for solving shape equations and analyzing shape-curvedness evolution.

Main Results:

  • Corrugations in liquid crystal interfaces arise from orientation distortions, with scaling laws dependent on energy ratios.
  • Liquid crystal-encapsulated drops exhibit diverse shapes (multilobal, tactoidal, serrated) influenced by anchoring, tension, and bending.
  • A dissipative shape evolution model explains kinetic stability of cylinders and identifies spheres/saddles as attractors, with implications for outer hair cells.

Conclusions:

  • The decoupled shape-curvedness framework offers superior quantitative insights into soft matter phenomena.
  • The methodology successfully models complex shape transitions and pattern formation in liquid crystal systems.
  • This approach advances the understanding of biological cell shapes and dynamics, particularly outer hair cells.