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Related Concept Videos

Membrane Fluidity01:26

Membrane Fluidity

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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...
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Membrane Fluidity01:23

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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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Fluid Mosaic Model01:19

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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...
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Colloids03:22

Colloids

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Children at play often make suspensions such as mixtures of mud and water, flour and water, or a suspension of solid pigments in water known as tempera paint. These suspensions are heterogeneous mixtures composed of relatively large particles that are visible to the naked eye or can be seen with a magnifying glass. They are cloudy, and the suspended particles settle out after mixing. On the other hand, a solution is a homogeneous mixture in which no settling occurs and in which the dissolved...
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The Fluid Mosaic Model01:34

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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.
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Mechanisms of Membrane Domain Formation00:59

Mechanisms of Membrane Domain Formation

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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...
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Updated: Jan 10, 2026

Confocal Imaging of Confined Quiescent and Flowing Colloid-polymer Mixtures
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Instabilities in colloidal crystals on fluid membranes.

Sanjay Dharmavaram1, Basant Lal Sharma2

  • 1Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Bucknell University, Lewisburg, PA 17837, USA. sd045@bucknell.edu.

Soft Matter
|November 26, 2025
PubMed
Summary

Colloidal crystals on fluid membranes can become unstable, leading to non-planar shapes. This study identifies two instability modes (long-wavenumber and short-wavenumber) in self-assembling colloidal systems.

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Area of Science:

  • Materials Science
  • Soft Matter Physics
  • Biophysics

Background:

  • Self-assembly of colloidal crystals on deformable interfaces is key for novel material synthesis.
  • Understanding instabilities in these systems is crucial for controlling material properties.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To characterize instabilities in colloidal crystals assembled on fluid membranes.
  • To analyze the transition from stable planar configurations to unstable non-planar ones.

Main Methods:

  • Modeling colloidal particles as interacting point particles on a fluid membrane.
  • Utilizing the Helfrich energy model for membrane elasticity.
  • Employing the Bloch-wave ansatz to analyze instability modes.

Main Results:

  • Regularly arranged colloidal crystals on planar membranes can bifurcate to non-planar configurations.
  • Two distinct instability modes, long-wavenumber (L modes) and short-wavenumber (S modes), were identified.
  • A parametric analysis defined the boundaries between stable and unstable regimes.

Conclusions:

  • The study provides insights into the physical mechanisms driving instabilities in colloidal crystal self-assembly on membranes.
  • Results offer potential connections to experimental observations and the biological process of biomembrane budding.